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In 1929 when the economy crashed, families needed as much money as they could get, so women were surprisingly encouraged to work. However, racist employers would very often prefer white women over women of color, causing them to suffer dramatically. The employment rate was nearly equal between men and women, and this was not received well. Men were angry and depressed, women willingly filled their shoes. Though it helped women, the conditions they worked in were ruthless, sexist, and exhausting.
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There has undoubtedly been a massive change since 1929 regarding women in the workforce. A study from 2020 showed that 50.4% of the workforce (excluding farm work and self-employment) is now women, and it will stay steady! In the 1970s, a liberation was seen in mothers across North America and working women became much more common - but there were many downsides still faced today. Misogyny, sexual harassment, and lack of respect are a continuous problem in 2021 - especially in the workforce.
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Unfortunately, what occurred in the 1930's is a continuous struggle faced today. The conditions faced during the Dust Bowl are similar to those faced due to Climate Change today. In 2021, farmers will experience a major increase in natural disasters, landslides, hurricanes, droughts, and unnatural temperatures.
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In the 1930s and in the midst of the Great Depression, Canadian farmers were shocked with the worst agriculture conditions in years. The land suffered major droughts and perhaps the worst of the many disasters faced: dust storms. The high winds lifted the dirt off of the land and into houses, across cities, and into lungs, destroying the farmland in its path. This caused health problems such as "dust pneumonia" and chest pain, and a dust storm so bad it was nicknamed Black Sunday.
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In 1938, the Évian Conference was held for world leaders to discuss the growing issue of Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazism. The Prime Minister of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King, insisted on Canada not attending as he didn't want to appear "too willing" to accept Jewish refugees. When Canada eventually attended, the outcome of the conference ended in only the Dominican Republic offering Jews refuge and nearly 1000 Jews boarded the MS St. Louis denied entry to Canada.
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A change has undoubtedly been seen in Canada's refugee policies since the war. Canada has accepted more than 1,000,000 refugees since 1980. 51% of those refugees are employed in high-skilled jobs (doctors, dentists, architects) and one fifth are working jobs that require a university degree. In 2015, as a response to the Syrian refugee crisis, Justin Trudeau set a goal to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees which we have since met and doubled.
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During the Second World War, women and their skills were needed both at home and on the front lines. Important roles women played in Canada consisted of code breaking and espionage. They would work in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Ontario in Camp X. During World War II, a large amount of women entered munitions factories (about 35,000 women in Ontario and Quebec). At home, women contributed by raising funds for hospitals, ambulances, hostels, and aircraft.
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In 1989, Canada opened all military positions to women (except for submarines, which was in 2001), in 2001, women made up 11.4% of the Canadian Armed Forces. The CAF has set a goal to raise the percentage of women by one percent each year, achieving 25% representation by 2026 -- in 2020, women made up 13.5% of the army. The continuity is seen in the misogyny and sexual assault female troops face that isn't slowing down. In 2016, 25% of women in the forces reported facing sexual misconduct.
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In 1942, 90% of Japanese Canadians were relocated and detained. This followed soon after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong, and Canadians became nervous of a Japanese invasion. The government and RCMP took action on dispossessing Japanese Canadians and shutting down their newspapers and schools. These internment camps were poor and lacked electricity and running water. Their businesses and homes were sold against their will, and the government treated them like animals.
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In 2021, the Canadian government wouldn't dare open internment camps - it would be too obvious, and they would be called out. Yet today, our national leaders will take no action on the senseless racism happening towards Asian Canadians right now. Since COVID-19 originated in China, there has been an insane increase in violent attacks towards Asians, specifically Asian elders. We still stereotype and blame and use world events as a way to try and justify racism - this is a continuous problem.
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Farming in Canada was slowly recovering from the conditions it faced in the Great Depression when the war hit. To properly aid the troops overseas, the government had to show as much support to the farmers as possible. In 1943, the federal government set up the Agricultural Food Board to help and supply food to Europe's soldiers. Almost 1.5 billion kg of bacon, 325 million kg of cheddar cheese, and other meats and butter were sent over to Britain during the war, and our agriculture was thriving.
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The change that is seen today is our desperation for well-supported farming. Our lives would be dramatically different without farming and we still depend on it, but the government was hyper-focused on it in order to aid the troops. The continuity is seen in the large amount of goods shipped overseas. In 2021, we want and expect things fast due to advanced transportation. We are now transferring goods in a similar way to the war, but even more efficiently.
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History.com Editors. “Dust Bowl.” HISTORY, 5 Aug. 2020, www.history.com/topics/great-depression/dust-bowl. “WarMuseum.ca - Democracy at War - Agriculture - Canada and the War.” All Contents Copyright 2003 Canadian War Museum All Rights Reserved., www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/canadawar/agriculture_e.html. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.
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“Women, Impact of the Great Depression on | Encyclopedia.Com.” Encyclopedia.Com, www.encyclopedia.com/economics/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/women-impact-great-depression. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021. Law, Tara. “Women Are Now the Majority of the U.S. Workforce — But Working Women Still Face Serious Challenges.” Time, 16 Jan. 2020, time.com/5766787/women-workforce.
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“Canada and the Holocaust.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/holocaust. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021. “Refugees in Canada - United Nations Refugee Agency.” UNHCR Canada, www.unhcr.ca/in-canada/refugees-in-canada/#:%7E:text=Canada%20has%20welcomed%201%2C088%2C015%20refugees,who%20were%20resettled%20from%20overseas.&text=Refugees%20have%20almost%20the%20same%20unemployment%20rate%20as%20Canadians.
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“Japanese Canadian Internment: Prisoners in Their Own Country | The Canadian Encyclopedia.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/japanese-internment-banished-and-beyond-tears-feature. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.
