Canada

Disposable Waste, Lands and Bodies under Canada’s Gendered Nuclear Colonialism

Citation:

Runyan, Anne Sisson. 2018. “Disposable Waste, Lands and Bodies under Canada’s Gendered Nuclear Colonialism.” International Feminist Journal of Politics 20 (1): 24–38.

Author: Anne Sisson Runyan

Abstract:

Nuclear colonialism, or the exploitation of Indigenous lands and peoples to sustain the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining and refining to nuclear energy and weapons production and the dumping of the resulting nuclear waste, occurs in many parts of the world and has generated considerable protest. This article focuses on a contemporary and ongoing case of nuclear colonialism in Canada: attempts to site two national deep geological repositories (DGRs) for nuclear waste on traditional First Nations land in Southwestern Ontario near the world’s largest operational nuclear power plant. Through histories of the rise of nuclear power and nuclear waste policy-making and their relationship to settler colonialism in Canada, as well as actions taken by the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) and white settler antinuclear waste movements, the article explores how gender is at work in nuclear colonialism and anti-nuclear waste struggles. Gender is explored here in terms of the patriarchal nuclear imperative, the appropriation of Aboriginal land through undermining Aboriginal women’s status and the problematic relationship between First Nations and white settler women-led movements in resistance to nuclear waste burial from a feminist decolonial perspective.

Keywords: nuclear waste, gendered nuclear colonialism, white settler colonialism, patriarchal nuclear imperative, Canada

Topics: Coloniality/Post-Coloniality, Environment, Feminisms, Gender, Gender Analysis, Indigenous, Rights, Indigenous Rights, Weapons /Arms, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Canada

Year: 2018

Gender, Resistance and Human Security

Citation:

Hoogensen, Gunhild, and Kirsti Stuvøy. 2006. “Gender, Resistance and Human Security.” Security Dialogue 37 (2): 207–28.

Authors: Gunhild Hoogensen, Kirsti Stuvøy

Abstract:

In the debate on human security, the leading question for many is ‘where do we go from here?’ Through this article, the authors contribute to the discussion by exploring both the extent to which gender approaches have been relevant to the human security debate thus far and how they can offer some directions forward. They argue that gender approaches deliver more credence and substance to a wider security concept, but also enable a theoretical conceptualization more reflective of security concerns that emanate from the ‘bottom up’. The authors therefore incorporate gender theory to develop human security as an epistemological perspective to security studies. Gender theory claims that security must be linked to empowerment of the individual, as well as to the capabilities to create positive environments of security. They employ the tool of resistance as one crucial example of human agency in security. Practices of resistance, in the latter’s various empirical forms, are present in all social contexts. Such a perspective on security directs attention to the practices of agents and provides a basis for exploring contextually dependent insecurities and securities.

Keywords: security, human security, gender, resistance, dominance/non-dominance

Topics: Gender, Security, Human Security Regions: Americas, North America, Europe, Nordic states Countries: Canada, Norway

Year: 2006

Globalization as Racialized, Sexualized Violence

Citation:

Kuokkanen, Rauna. 2008. “Globalization as Racialized, Sexualized Violence.” International Feminist Journal of Politics 10 (2): 216-233.

Author: Rauna Kuokkanen

Abstract:

In my article, I suggest that indigenous women are among the hardest hit by economic globalization - the expansion of markets, trade liberalization and cheapening of labour - and that globalization represents a multifaceted violence against indigenous women. I consider this with the help of two examples. First, I discuss the largely ignored case of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada and how the interlocking systems of oppression (colonization, patriarchy and capitalism) are further intensified by globalization. Second, I examine the death of a Hopi woman, Private Piestewa, in the context of militarization, history of colonization and globalization. I analyse these examples in an intersectional framework that reveals the links between colonization, patriarchy and capitalism all of which inform the current processes of globalization.

Keywords: global capitalism, indigenous women, US military, violence against women, war on iraq

Topics: Gender, Women, Gendered Power Relations, Patriarchy, Globalization, Indigenous, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Militarization, Race, Sexual Violence Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Canada, United States of America

Year: 2008

Gender and Climate Change Research : Moving Beyond Transformative Adaptation

Citation:

Santos, Pablo Romero-Nieva, Nikolai George Lewis Holm, Julia Olsen, and Grete K. Hovelsrud. 2020. “Gender and Climate Change Research : Moving Beyond Transformative Adaptation." Arctic Yearbook 2020: 189-218. https://nordopen.nord.no/nord-xmlui/handle/11250/2728589.

Authors: Pablo Romero-Nieva Santos, Nikolai George Lewis Holm, Julia Olsen, Greta K. Hovelsrud

Abstract:

Research on how communities in the Arctic can overcome the challenge of climate change have traditionally employed adaptation frameworks. The ability of these groups to continue thriving in the Arctic is complicated by historical, social, economic, and political complexities - issues thoroughly addressed through the postcolonial feminist concept of transformation. This article critically examines contemporary research on climate and gender, and the extent to which feminist transformative concerns are addressed, thereby challenging systems and promoting power structures that recognize or benefit all segments of society. The article adopts an analytical strategy which combines two parallel instances of critical reflection on climate research, specifically, a systematic literature review of climate and gender studies in the Canadian Arctic, and the results of a round-table workshop of international climate experts and researchers on the state of climate change, adaptation and gender research in the Arctic. The article explores the results of these analyses and distinguishes those strategies that represent a continuation of status-quo power relations and climate adaptation processes from those that account for current economic and socio-political factors.

Topics: Environment, Climate Change, Feminisms, Gender, Gendered Power Relations Regions: Europe, Nordic states Countries: Canada

Year: 2020

Women, Migration and Work

Syllabus: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon Mojab-Women_Migration_and_Work.pdf232.26 KB
Year course was taught: 
2019

Eco/Feminism on the Edge

Citation:

Mortimer-Sandilands, Catriona. 2008. “Eco/Feminism on the Edge.” International Feminist Journal of Politics 10 (3): 305-13.

Author: Catriona Mortimer-Sandilands

Abstract:

In this commentary I extend and converse with Niamh Moore's account of ecofeminist politics at Clayoquot Sound during the 1993 peace camp. In agreeing with her argument that such activist moments are more complex than the charges of maternalism and essentialism that have been thrown at them, I support her genealogical approach to understanding the particular gender relations that unfolded during the protest. In addition, I suggest that an understanding of the wider gender politics of the region, in addition to further consideration of other ecofeminist problematiques, would extend and enrich such analyses of ecofeminist activisms. 

Keywords: ecofeminism, maternalism, essentialism, evironmentalism, peace activism, Clayoquot Sound

Topics: Environment, Extractive Industries, Feminisms, Ecofeminism, Gender, Gendered Power Relations Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Canada

Year: 2008

"I Just Gotta Have Tough Skin": Women’s Experiences Working in the Oil and Gas Industry in Canada

Citation:

Murphy, Kathleen, Lola Strand, Linda Theron, and Michael Ungar. 2021. “‘I Just Gotta Have Tough Skin’: Women’s Experiences Working in the Oil and Gas Industry in Canada.” The Extractive Industries and Society 8 (2).

Authors: Kathleen Murphy, Lola Strand, Linda Theron, Michael Ungar

Abstract:

Women remain vastly underrepresented in the oil and gas workforce. As such, they are subject to gender-based discrimination and harassment, perpetuated by a hyper masculine work culture, yet little is known about their experiences working on the front lines. Guided by feminist interpretive inquiry, the purpose of this research was to understand the experiences of young women in blue collar and administrative positions within the oil and gas industry, in a small Canadian town. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 women ages 18–30 between February 2018 and March 2019. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic content analysis, and findings were validated by a Local Advisory Committee. Participating women experienced gender-based discrimination and harassment. Still, many women enjoyed their work, took pride in defying gender-based expectations, and tended to persevere by having ‘tough skin’. Women’s coping mechanisms tended to reinforce the masculine culture that perpetuates the gender-based challenges they face. Findings suggest that industry practices must adapt to create a safe and inclusive workplace.

Keywords: women in industry, gender norms, gender equity, oil and gas workforce, inclusive workplace

Topics: Extractive Industries, Gender, Gender Roles, Women, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equity, Masculinism Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Canada

Year: 2021

Creating a Gender-Inclusive Mining Industry: Uncovering the Challenges of Female Mining Stakeholders

Citation:

Kansake, Bruno Ayaga, Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, and Nelson Kofi Dumakor-Dupey. 2021. “Creating a Gender-Inclusive Mining Industry: Uncovering the Challenges of Female Mining Stakeholders.” Resources Policy 70 (March). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101962.

Authors: Bruno Ayaga Kansake, Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, Nelson Kofi Dumakor-Dupey

Abstract:

The global mining industry is male dominated. In the US, women constitute 13% of the mining workforce and 16% of mining related college programs. Similar trends exist globally. Efforts are being made by educational institutions, mining companies and professional organizations to attract women to the industry to achieve a gender inclusive industry. Such efforts have yielded minimal dividends partly due to insufficient reliable data on challenges confronting female miners. To provide empirical data to guide such efforts, we undertook a survey to understand the reasons for low female participation in the industry with participants from Ghana, USA, Ireland, Canada and other countries. The survey sought to identify challenges faced by female mining stakeholders and availability of support facilities for handling these challenges. Open and closed ended questionnaires were administered through online platforms. The responses were analyzed quantitatively using summary statistics and qualitatively using thematic analysis. About 38% of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their current jobs. The high dissatisfaction rate stems from lower salaries compared to male counterparts (29%), gender-based discrimination (53%), sexual harassment (37%) and sexual demands during hiring (17%). The key hindrances to a gender inclusive mining sector have been grouped into seven themes including discrimination, harassment, gender ideologies, and lack of support. We propose a four-way mind map model requiring commitment from government, companies, chambers of mines, and employees to ensure a gender inclusive mining industry.

Keywords: gender inclusion, diversity, mining industry, female stakeholders, discrimination, harassment

Topics: Extractive Industries, Gender, Women, Gender Balance, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality Regions: Africa, West Africa, Americas, North America, Europe, Western Europe Countries: Canada, Ghana, Ireland, United States of America

Year: 2021

The Effects of Resource Extraction on Inuit Women and Their Families: Evidence from Canada

Citation:

Nightingale, Elana, Karina Czyzewski, Frank Tester, and Nadia Aaruaq. 2017. “The Effects of Resource Extraction on Inuit Women and Their Families: Evidence from Canada.” Gender & Development 25 (3): 367–85. 

Authors: Elana Nightingale, Karina Czyzewski, Frank Tester, Nadia Aaruaq

Abstract:

ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
This article presents the findings from research conducted by Pauktuutit, an Inuit women’s organisation, and the University of British Colombia into the gendered social impacts of resource extraction in Qamani’tuaq, Nunavut Territory, Canada. The research used a range of different methods and contributes to a growing body of global evidence on the social impacts of resource extraction on indigenous women and families. It reveals the complex effects of resource extraction on Inuit women’s lives, at the individual, family, and community levels. This kind of research is urgently required to ensure that policies on natural resource extraction are developed that support the interests and needs of the women, men, and children most affected by mining.

SPANISH ABSTRACT:
El presente artículo da cuenta de los resultados surgidos de estudios sobre los impactos sociales que la extracción de recursos en Qamani’tuaq, territorio de Nunavut, Canadá, provocan a nivel de género. Dichos estudios fueron realizados por Pauktuuit, una organización de mujeres inuit, y la Universidad de Columbia Británica. La investigación utilizó varios métodos diferentes, pretendiendo contribuir al conjunto de pruebas existentes a nivel mundial sobre los impactos sociales producidos por la extracción de recursos en las mujeres y las familias indígenas. Asimismo, da cuenta de los complejos efectos que la extracción de recursos tiene en la vida de las mujeres, tanto a nivel individual como familiar y comunitario. Por esta razón resulta urgente impulsar este tipo de investigaciones a fin de garantizar que las políticas vinculadas a la extracción de recursos naturales sean diseñadas para apoyar los intereses y las necesidades de las mujeres, los hombres y los niños más afectados por la actividad minera.

FRENCH ABSTRACT:
Cet article présente les conclusions de recherches menées par Pauktuuit, une organisation de femmes inuites, et de l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique, sur les impacts sociaux sexo-spécifiques de l’extraction des ressources à Qamani’tuaq, dans le territoire canadien Nunavut. Ce projet de recherche a eu recours à une variété de méthodes et il contribue à un ensemble croissant de données factuelles mondiales sur les impacts sociaux de l’extraction des ressources sur la vie des femmes inuites, aux niveaux individuel, familial et communautaire. D’autres travaux de recherche de ce type sont requis de toute urgence pour veiller à l’élaboration de politiques relatives à l’extraction des ressources qui soutiennent les intérêts et les besoins des femmes, des hommes et des enfants les plus gravement touchés par les activités minières.

Keywords: Inuit, indigenous, mining, resource extraction, gender, women, Arctic, Canada

Topics: Extractive Industries, Gender, Women, Indigenous Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Canada

Year: 2017

Pages

© 2024 CONSORTIUM ON GENDER, SECURITY & HUMAN RIGHTSLEGAL STATEMENT All photographs used on this site, and any materials posted on it, are the property of their respective owners, and are used by permission. Photographs: The images used on the site may not be downloaded, used, or reproduced in any way without the permission of the owner of the image. Materials: Visitors to the site are welcome to peruse the materials posted for their own research or for educational purposes. These materials, whether the property of the Consortium or of another, may only be reproduced with the permission of the owner of the material. This website contains copyrighted materials. The Consortium believes that any use of copyrighted material on this site is both permissive and in accordance with the Fair Use doctrine of 17 U.S.C. § 107. If, however, you believe that your intellectual property rights have been violated, please contact the Consortium at info@genderandsecurity.org.

Subscribe to RSS - Canada