GRSJ224/iscanadafeminist

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Canadian Feminism in 2019

The feminist movement has been greatly welcomed by the current Canadian government which, at face value, has set the framework for the geopolitical world to follow. Although Canada has made vast commitments to promote feminism, the execution and implementation of them remains in question.

The Election of Justin Trudeau

The 2015 Canadian Federal Election resulted in the winning of a majority government by the Liberal Party of Canada, headed by Justin Trudeau who promised execution of feminism across Canada and the globe, and publicly labelled himself as a feminist[1]. Some of the commitments made encompass appointing a cabinet with half female ministers and half male ministers, full implementation of the United Nations Rights on Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), access to free and safe abortions for all Canadians, foreign policy amendments which focused on promoting human rights and gender equality, and many more[2]. This feminist mindset was the foreground for the result of the election, as voter turnout amongst females in Canada increased by 8.4% from the previous election in 2011[3]. Justin Trudeau's brand was developed throughout his campaign as one encompassing compassion, equality, freedom, and embodying the values of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Controversies

Throughout his time in office, Justin Trudeau has been under various controversies surrounding his commitment to feminism.

1.) UNDRIP Implementation Failure

2.) Signing of $15B Arms and Weaponry Deal to Saudi Arabia

3.) SNC Lavalin

4.) Resignation of Justice Minister and Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould

5.) Resignation of Minister of Indigenous Services, Jane Philpott

6.) Resignation of Member of Parliament, Celina Caesar-Chavannes

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Implementation Failure

The significance of UNDRIP rests on two principles. The first being Canada's horrific history with their unjustly and inhumane treatment of Indigenous peoples through residential schools, reserves, and many aspects surrounding postcolonial actions that displaced and harmed Indigenous peoples. The second stems from Canada's commitment to the United Nations. In 2007 at the United Nations General Assembly, 147 countries voted to adopt and implement UNDRIP, and Canada was one of only four countries that voted against the implementation. At the time, Canada's reasonings were primarily based around the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which Canada claimed already carried many of the important provisions of UNDRIP[4]. As we continue to see Indigenous rights jeopardized through destruction of native land for economical development, difficulty accessing health care and education, racial discrimination in careers and therefore lack of opportunity, and many others, the implementation of UNDRIP was significant. The promise to implement UNDRIP generated a 200% increase in voter turnout amongst some Indigenous communities in comparison to the previous election[4].

In February 2017, Minister of Indigenous Services Jody Wilson-Raybould announced that UNDRIP is "unworkable" with Canadian law, and must be implemented in accordance with the constitutional framework of section 35[4]. In other words, the promised implementation of UNDRIP has not happened and according to the statement by Wilson-Raybould, will not happen.

Justin Trudeau continued to disregard Indigenous rights through the approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline despite inadequate consultation with and outright opposition from Indigenous groups. In addition, the approval of the Site C dam in British Columbia generated numerous disapproval from Indigenous groups and Environment Canada who stated that the project will cause "habitat alternation and fragmentation"[5] of animals and cause widespread and long-term damage to treaty land.

Signing of $15B Arms and Weaponry Deal to Saudi Arabia

It is important to note that Stephen Harper's Conservative government initiated the original deal with Saudi Arabia, however it was signed by the current Liberal government. As Justin Trudeau advocated to promote human rights around the globe and attempted to construct Canada's foreign policy to reflect this position, the deal with Saudi Arabia raised many eyebrows considering Saudi Arabia's long history of human rights abuses and violence against women. Despite this knowledge, the Trudeau government continued with the deal in order to not "cost thousands of Canadians their jobs"[6]. Additionally, there was no acknowledgement of how this deal is or is not in parallel with Justin Trudeau's feminist foreign policy as previous Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephane Dion did not use the term "feminist" once in his 3,000 word address regarding the arms deal with Saudi Arabia[7].

SNC Lavalin

The SNC Lavalin affair resulted from a Canadian company, SNC Lavalin, being investigated for bribing Libyan officials to land highly profitable contracts. According to ex Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pressured her to divert criminal proceedings against SNC Lavalin in an attempt to save Canadian jobs.

Resignation of Justice Minister and Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould

The resignation of Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould questioned the viability of Trudeau's position on feminism throughout the country. This was expressed by female delegates from across Canada in Parliament who "turned their backs on Trudeau"[8] as he addressed the House of Commons after Wilson-Raybould's resignation.

Wilson-Raybould testified that she was pressured by the Prime Minister's Office and received "veiled threats" to ratify the SNC Lavalin case and not pursue the investigation. Wilson-Raybould was therefore demoted from her position as Justice Minister and Attorney General, and moved to become the Minister of Veteran Affairs. Justin Trudeau referred to this as a "cabinet shuffle". As Wilson-Raybould's duties to pursue the investigation into SNC Lavalin were removed, she resigned from cabinet and publicly expressed her reasonings as based on losing trust in the leadership of Canada. After resigning from her Ministerial position, she was expelled from the Liberal caucus by Justin Trudeau.

Justin Trudeau faced tremendous backlash regarding Wilson-Raybould's resignation from supporters, feminists, and media analysts. When interviewed regarding Wilson-Raybould's resignation, Trudeau referred to her as 'Jody', and defended his reasonings for the cabinet shuffle. Conservative deputy leader Lisa Raitt stated that "the Liberals use their feminist agenda as a talking point but undermine powerful women by referring to them with gendered language and old tropes". This statement rested on the actions taken by Justin Trudeau against Wilson-Raybould to abolish her duties to seek justice against SNC Lavalin and disregarding her professional identity through referring to Wilson-Raybould as 'Jody'. Justin Trudeau was publicly accused of constraining the freedoms of female cabinet ministers and told he was a "fake feminist"[9].

Resignation of Minister of Indigenous Services, Jane Philpott

Following the resignation and expulsion of Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould was the resignation of Minister of Indigenous Services, Jane Philpott. Philpott expressed her resignation was a result of Justin Trudeau's actions regarding the SNC Lavalin affair, stating that she had "lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised"[10]. Following her resignation, she was also expelled from the Liberal caucus by Justin Trudeau without any consultation.

Philpott expressed her concerns regarding Trudeau's feminist identity, "noting that her leaving politics after what she experienced would set a terrible example to young girls"[11]. This presented another round of public scrutiny towards Trudeau, with Canadians wondering if Trudeau's inability to work with women who have different opinions than him devalues his feminist identity.

Resignation of Member of Parliament, Celina Caesar-Chavannes

In March 2019, Celina Caesar-Chavannes resigned as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). Caesar-Chavannes claimed Justin Trudeau became hostile towards her and stated in an interview that "He was yelling. He was yelling that I didn't appreciate him, that he'd given me so much"[12]. In the same interview, Caesar-Chavannes addressed Justin Trudeau's actions behind closed doors - "When he silences women, when he yells and screams at them, when he says that their experiences are just different perspectives, he is demeaning all women and showing what a fake feminist he is".

Following her resignation, Caesar-Chavannes received racist hate mail to her MP office which referred to her as "a dumb n**** with attitude"[13]. Justin Trudeau did not comment on Caesar-Chavannes's claims regarding his actions nor on the racist hate mail she received.

Canada's Feminist Future

After the Federal Election in 2015, the future of gender equality seemed exceptionally bright to Canadians. After the above analysis of the actions of Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada, the future doesn't look as colourful as it did. For Canadians, promises and commitments made by political parties that then deteriorate are beyond concerning. These situations abolish a sense of trust and challenge democratic values. As a nation that empowers itself in global human rights and multiculturalism, the actions of the Canadian government over the last 4 years diminish the probability of achieving gender equality anytime soon. The actions also reinforce a patriarchal society where control is centralized on male authority figures while simultaneously disguising this reality through feminist rhetoric. Although discouraging results, the actions of Wilson-Raybould, Philpott, and Caesar-Chavannes point to a hopeful future where women are empowered to stand up for their rights and condemn inequities to highlight the importance of gender equality.

Intersectional Analysis

The above actions of the current Liberal Party of Canada present a wide range of intersecting factors and create an opportunity for a thorough intersectional analysis.

The promise to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was a considerable commitment to Canada's Indigenous peoples. As the promise fell through and actions arose that contradicted the government's commitment to Indigenous rights, the further marginalization of Indigenous peoples is evidenced. Currently, Indigenous women face tremendous difficulty in accessing health care services and when pregnant, experience "stressful, lonely and costly births with negative health outcomes"[14]. The promise to support Canadian women and their reproductive health has overlooked Indigenous women. The approval of pipelines and dams further displaces Indigenous communities and therefore enhances the difficulty to access health care services. As many Indigenous peoples lack adequate income, education, and support, the failure of the Canadian government to acknowledge their rights through UNDRIP discounts several identities, primarily their rights as not only Canadian citizens, but the first inhabitants of Canadian land.

Canada's arms deal with Saudi Arabia questions its foreign policy and domestic identity. The current Canadian government has advocated for global human rights and released Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy which outlines Canada's goals to promote gender equality and women's rights throughout the world. The decision to sell Saudi Arabia arms and weaponry fails to consider the potential for violence against women and human rights abuses. This action is contradictory to Canada's approach to human rights and does not support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals in ending world poverty through alleviating crisis. Furthermore, this deal fails to acknowledge the destructive effects of war on children and families, and overlooks the impacts of providing a fearfully low GDP per capita country with weapons in a period of crisis.

The resignation of 3 women from the Liberal Party of Canada for similar yet different reasons point to a series of discriminatory factors. Similarly, they are all women who were presented with an opportunity to spearhead a key section of Canada, and all experienced an inability to express their opinions. Jody Wilson-Raybould, an Indigenous Canadian women who was eradicated based on her will to fight for justice and promote fairness and International Law was expelled by a male leader. Arguably, Wilson-Raybould's Indigenous identity and female identity were contributing factors to the elimination of her voice. Jane Philpott, a Canadian women experienced exclusion when her opinions regarding the government's desires towards the SNC Lavalin affair were disregarded. Celina Caesar-Chavannes, a black Canadian women claimed she was verbally abused by male authority and deceived regarding her party leader's feminist position. Arguably, the treatment towards Caesar-Chavannes was a result of her being a woman and her race.

Putting these together, there is evidence of discrimination by the Canadian democratic system against Indigenous women, women encompassed in poverty and crisis, white women, and black women. The current Canadian government has segregated women from men and portrayed women as incapable and not worthy of involvement in politics. Additionally, it has assumed that women will continue with gender inequities through adhering to authoritarian male desires and limit their available actions to those generated by male leaders. Although the government has advocated for a multicultural and gender equal society that protects the rights of all Canadians and women around the world, its actions towards Indigenous women, women surrounded by poverty and violence, an Indigenous women in politics (Wilson-Raybould), a white women in politics (Philpott), and a black woman in politics (Caesar-Chavannes) speak to the lack of consideration towards intersectionality and how its actions devalue women.

Scholarly References

Alex Marland (2018) The brand image of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in international context, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 24:2, 139-144, DOI: 10.1080/11926422.2018.1461665

Chapnick, A. (2019). The origins of Canada’s feminist foreign policy. International Journal: Canada’s Journal of Global Policy Analysis, 74(2), 191-205. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0020702019850827

Hoskin, R. A., Jenson, K. E., & Blair, K. L. (2017). Is our feminism bullshit? The importance of intersectionality in adopting a feminist identity. Cogent Social Sciences, 3(1), 1290014. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2017.1290014

Hillmer, N., & Lagasse, P. (2017). Justin Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Policy. Canada Among Nations.

Srdjan, V. (2017). A nation of feminist arms dealers? canada and military exports.International Journal, 72(4), 503-519. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1177/0020702017740156

Non-Scholarly References

Environmental Assessment Agency. (2017, August 24). Environmental Assessment Decision Statement - Re-Issued on November 25, 2014. https://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/evaluations/document/100567?culture=en-CA

Estimation of Voter Turnout by Age Group and Gender at the 2015 General Election. (2015). https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rec/part/estim/42ge&document=p1&lang=e

Kingston, A. (2019, May 28). Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott on the power of one. https://www.macleans.ca/politics/jody-wilson-raybould-and-jane-philpott-on-the-power-of-one/

Ottawa News Bureau. (2019, March 05). Jane Philpott resigns from Trudeau cabinet, cites SNC-Lavalin scandal as a factor. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/jane-philpott-resigns-from-trudeau-cabinet-cites-snc-lavalin-scandal-as-a-factor-1.4321813

Stone, L. (2019, March 09). Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes says she was met with 'hostility, anger' in private Trudeau talks. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-liberal-mp-celina-caesar-chavannes-says-she-was-met-with-hostility/

Smith, M. (2019, April 03). Dozens of women turn their backs on Trudeau in the House of Commons as he addresses Daughters of the Vote. https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/dozens-of-women-turn-their-backs-on-trudeau-in-the-house-of-commons-as-he-addresses-daughters-of-the-vote

Snowdon, F. (2019, April). Whitby MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes receives racist mail at constituency office. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/politics/whitby-mp-celina-caesar-chavannes-receives-racist-mail-at-constituency-office/ar-BBW312V

The Canadian Press. (2019, March 06). Liberals' feminist agenda undermined by their reaction to cabinet resignations: Opposition. https://beta.canada.com/news/politics/wilson-raybould-and-philpott-departures-do-not-affect-feminist-agenda-ng/wcm/c1714134-3b8a-4fca-a746-f4010227c7cd/amp/

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Indigenous Women's Health. https://www.sogc.org/en/about/what-we-do/indigenous-womens-health/en/content/about/indigenous-womens-health.aspx?hkey=e85746d2-eb7f-444b-a1c9-34748a448779

  1. Hoskin, Rhea. "Is our feminism bullshit? The importance of intersectionality in adopting a feminist identity". Cogent Social Sciences.
  2. Marland, Alex. [The brand image of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in international context "The brand image of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in international context"] Check |url= value (help). Canadian Foreign Policy Journal.
  3. "Estimation of Voter Turnout by Age and Gender: 2015 Federal Election".
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Hillmer, Norman (2017). Justin Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Policy. Canada Among Nations.
  5. "Environmental Assessment Decision Statement". Environment Canada.
  6. Srdjan, V. "A nation of feminist arms dealers? Canada and military exports". International Journal.
  7. Chapnick, Adam. "The origins of Canada's feminist foreign policy". International Journal: Canada’s Journal of Global Policy Analysis: 191–205.
  8. Smith, M. "Dozens of Women Turn Their Backs on Trudeau in the House of Commons as he Addresses Daughters of the Vote".
  9. "Liberals' feminist agenda undermined by their reaction to cabinet resignations: Opposition". The Canadian Press.
  10. "Jane Philpott resigns from Trudeau cabinet, cites SNC-Lavalin scandal as a factor". Ottawa News Bureau.
  11. Kingston, A. "Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott on the power of one". MacLeans Magazine.
  12. Stone, L. "Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes says she was met with 'hostility, anger' in private Trudeau talks".
  13. Snowdon, F. "Whitby MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes receives racist mail at constituency office".
  14. "Indigenous Women's Health". The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.