The “Just Society” A Blueprint for a Better Tomorrow

Taking a Stand On June 10, 1968, Pierre Elliot Trudeau gave a speech that defined his vision for Canada: that Canada would become a “Just Society” – one in which there would be equal opportunity and social justice for all. For many Canadians this was a goal towards which they spent the next four decades striving towards

"I've always dreamt of a society where each person should be able to fulfill himself to the extent of his capabilities as a human being, a society where inhibitions to equality would be eradicated. This means providing individual freedoms, and equality of opportunity, health, and education, and I conceive of politics as a series of decisions to create this society."

Women`s and LGBT Rights in Canada

Status of Women by 1950 Positives for Women Considered legal “persons” with rights and protections had the right to vote in all elections and to be elected/appointed to any political/judicial position More women were in the workforce than ever before (impact of WWII) Could now become doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. Negatives for Women Many laws were not applied equally to both genders and favoured men Discrimination was widespread and legal (especially in the workplace) Women made less $ than men, even for the same job Universities discriminated when accepting women students (they had to have higher marks) Only 67 women had ever been elected to any Canadian political office (compared to 6778 men)

How do those ads convey negative perceptions of women?

Changes That Need To Be Made… 1967, the Liberal government established a “ Royal Commission on the Status of Women” to investigate the plight of women in Canada and make suggestions for improvement They spent 3 years studying the issue and made several key recommendations

OMNIBUS BILL(OB)-1967 No Fault Divorce -husbands/wives had to prove their spouse was guilty of adultery, cruelty or desertion -OB made it possible to divorce without proving one was at fault Birth Control -birth control was illegal OB made it legal for doctors to prescribe birth control and for women to have access to birth control Access to Abortion -abortion was a criminal act 1967-OB allowed doctors to perform abortions if doctors believed the pregnancy “endangered the life or health” of the woman; this made SOME abortions legal 1988: Supreme Court struck down the abortion law removing all legal restrictions

HOW WOULD THESE CHANGES HELP WOMEN?

OB ADDRESSES RIGHTS OF LGBT Up until 1967 being gay was ILLEGAL. The OB decriminalized being gay This was a HUGE step forward

OMNIBUS BILL-JUSTIFIED BY P.E.T. Go to VOICES on page 399 and write down what he said.

…Changes That Are Made. The Federal Gov’t enacted a few of the changes by 1977: – Outlawed discrimination based on gender – Required women employed by the gov’t to receive equal pay – Some affirmative action programs are started for women These changes only resulted after protests and pressure from women’s groups

The Tipping Point The introduction of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms helped usher in a new era for women`s rights They did not need to wait for laws to be passed, they could now challenge (in court) unfair laws and have them removed Numerous political and legal campaigns had to be waged to bring Canadian law into line with the ideals of equality

Welcome to the World of Tomorrow…. (well, the year 2000) Positives for Women Women held high political offices (PM, Supreme Court Judge, Gov. General, etc.) Women held 21% of the seats in the House of Commons Women were 45% of the workforce (43% of all managers) Women had full access to birth control and reproductive rights All laws and policies had to meet the gender-equality standard or be overturned by the courts Laws against sexual harassment have been passed and enforced Negatives for Women Women only held 6% of the top jobs (CEO, board members) in large Canadian companies A wage gap still exists between men and women SEE CHART PAGE 100 The glass ceiling still prevents many women from attaining the highest levels of employment Sexual assault and navigating the legal system for victims remains difficult and often goes unreported

LGBT RIGHTS & the Charter Read pages How did the Charter help improve rights for the LGBT? TRACE the evolution of key events

POSITIVE SIGNS for WOMEN… Investigate all listed women and cite how they are examples of women’s rights improving Deanna Brasseur(431) Julie Payette(450) Michaelle Jean(17) Ursula Franklin(381) Elizabeth May(63) Andrea Lawrence(100) Sukanya Pillay(10 Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet justin-trudeau-on-his-cabinet-and-its-promise-to- canadians/