How Canada Budgeted More Space for Women

A Glimpse into the Canadian Government’s Cultural Value of Employable Women

Abstract

This essay analyzes the Canadian budget speeches from 1965, 1987 and 2018, and their reflection of the social and political climate of their time. A feminist lens is used to examine how the government’s prioritization of women’s participation in the labour force has changed over time. How these social changes have affected the economy, culture, and political climate of Canada is a point of interest. Political rights and opportunities for women to join the workforce existed in all these periods, but societal and political culture impacted the employment rates of women in the Canadian workforce. Reflecting on the language and statistics used in the budget speeches allows insight into how societal norms impacted the political culture and thus the government's priorities surrounding women’s rights and the role of a woman in Canada.