The Census and the Evolution of Gender Roles in Early 20th Century Canada
This report provides a comparison of Canadian women with relation to their: Marital Status, Fertility Rates, Labour Force Participation, Wage Gap and Citizenship in the years 1931-2006.
| Category |
Women & Work |
| Details |
Marital Status
- Between 1911 and 1941, one in 1000 women were divorced or separated at each census taken.
- In 1951, the rate increased to 4 in 1000.
- In 2006, by contrast, over 120 in 1000 women were divorced or separated.
Fertitlity
- In 1941, 83% of women who were or had been married had birthed a child and one in five had given birth to six or more.
- In 2006, while almost exactly the same proportion of women in relationships had children, less than 3% had given birth to six or more.
Labour Force Participation
- In 1931, 16% of women were involved in paid employment, compared to almost 70% of men.
- By 2006, the employment rate for women was almost 60%.
Wage Gap
- Between 1921 and 1941 a working woman earned on average just over 50 cents for each dollar earned by a working man.
Citizenship
- Until 1947, a women’s citizenship was tied to her husband’s citizenship both legally and for census purposes.
|
| Author |
Derrick Thomas |
| Publication Date |
March 8, 2010 |
| Source |
Canadian Social Trends Number 89 |
| Format |
PDF 160 kb |
| Availability |
Download Report |
| Related Links |
Canadian Social Trends: Statistics Canada |
