Research and Describe Canadian Women During Great Depression (Essay Sample)

Canadian women during great depression
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Introduction
There is no doubt that indeed the great depression destroyed a lot of economies. However, it is undeniable that one nation perhaps endured more compared to other nations that experienced the great depression: Canada. It is worth noting that Canada’s economy hit the lowest point in 1932, the country underwent a shocking decline of more than 34% in per capita gross domestic product (GDP). No other industrialized state was as hard-hit. Canada during this period was and still is a nation that highly depends on trade. It should be noted that in the 1920s, products for instance wheat and slow commodities, as well as newsprint, were mainly imperative. In line with this, in 1930, the then United States president Herbert Hoover endorsed into regulation the Smoot-Hawley tax Act, which increased duties on a majority of imports to what is to date regarded historic high levels. This resulted to castigatory taxes along with a severe decrease of business globally.[Francis J. Turner, Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work (Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 2009), 130-167.]
It was mainly detrimental to Canada, which was particularly America’s major business partner, where export costs dropped. For instance, the cost of slow products dropped more than 30% from 1929 to 1932, and cattle costs decreased for more than 60%. What’s more, the Smoot-Hawley tax Act created a situation where key Canadian pulp and paper organizations into insolvency. Furthermore, Canadian vehicle manufacturers saw their exports crumble to less than 20,000 motor vehicles in 1931 from more than 100,000 in 1929. Production, generally, reduced over 50%. The rate of unemployment hit an all time high (an average of more than 30%) within Canadian capital. For instance, in Windsor, Ont., it hit more than 48%. Within the Maritime Provinces, unemployment for common laborers reached 60%.
Famine, epidemics
The total number of deaths was high on the Canadian large open areas of grassland, which endured not just from the business conflicts however from famine, poverty and epidemics of grasshoppers. It is worth noting that by the time the great depression was ended, every 1 individual in 12 citizens had left the expanse permanently, while on the other hand, a huge area of Saskatchewan had been shrink to a wilderness destroyed by natural catastrophes. Within small Minton, a high number of the residents approximately more than 800 relied on government aid and donations; ironically even the city’s poultry had to rely on aid food.[Joe Martin, Relentless Change: A Casebook for the Study of Canadian Business History (University of Toronto Press, 2009), 1-112.]
Yet in all the anguish that was experienced, the Canadians never accepted or supported willingly and enthusiastically the type of government process of intervening into the economy that the United States implemented. It should be remembered that a brief effort by Prime Minister R.B. Bennett to duplicate Franklin Roosevelt’s new contract was in the end shot down by the Privy Council in London, which was still Canada’s significant Supreme tribunal. In a nutshell, literature as well as sources provided above reveals that during the great depression family units had a challenging time coping with situations, in particular throughout times of famine and bad harvest-time. One may perhaps question just how women endured in this complex and challenging times. 
The lives of the women before the great depression in Canada
Generally, the early depression had an effect on male salary earners more brutally compared to the women employees.  As mentioned in the literature above, the stock market collapse of 1929 harmed heavy or strong businesses such as steel, rubber, and industries concentrating on compounds, which were controlled by male employees, much more compared to the light companies such as manufacturing, where a majority of female production employees were working.  An important point to note is that, the production companies improved rather faster during the depression in comparison to the heavy organizations. This led to a situation where a majority of the male population lost their employments compared to the female employees which meant that it was now challenging for the men to secure employment in factories throughout the depression compared to their women counterparts.  Apart from looking for work in production, women had more salary-earning chances in non-manufacturing occupations for instance tutoring, nursing, domestic services, and work from the houses, and office jobs than the males.
How the Great Depression affected the women in Canada
Still, women employees did endure through the depression. A majority of the women who had not labored prior to the depression were compelled to look for employment for the reason that their partners had been made redundant or were affected by salary-cuts. This was particularly the situation for elder, wedded females who had left the workforce when they gave birth. Notably, one-third of the depression-period women labor force consisted of wedded women which a more than 40% rise from the 1920s.  Having a source of revenue did not guarantee survival, nevertheless.  Salaries for employed women in the 1930s were exceptionally low: stitching and making of toys and other commodities from their houses attracted less than $5 in a week.  Even though it was easy for women to look for work all through the depression compared to the men, it is important to appreciate that there was still a high rate of joblessness amongst the women. [Patricia Hachten Wee and Robert James Wee, World War II in Literature for Youth: A Guide and Resource Book (Scarecrow Press, 2004), 23-300.]
Whereas women were engaged in sales, bookkeeping, and household activities by 1890s, the great depression on the other hand puzzlingly had an effect on men. The structure of the family unit changed in the fullness of time as families progressed through depression. As mentioned above, roughly over two million women and men combined were faced with situations of unemployment levels as well as homelessness; people were forced to sleep in capital underground railroads, streets, and unoccupied grounds. In line with this, it is perhaps significant to note that 1929 was in fact important in relation to how the depression affected the women. This year saw the stock market collapse; a situation that crippled organizations controlled or governed by men for instance, chemicals, rubber and steel. A majority of men lost their employments. They had tough time getting employment in the market.[Karen Flynn, Moving Beyond Borders: A History of Black Canadian and Caribbean Women in the Diaspora (University of Toronto Press, 2011), 12-200.]
By 1930s, the rate of unemployment particularly for the men was two or three times compared to that of women through most of the depression period. On the other hand, the businesses that were involved in manufacturing, where a majority of the women were working, were not influenced to the degree that was seen or experienced amongst the huge ones. Notably, the women got more salaries in tutoring, treatment, domestic service, as well as office work. Even though women generally relied on men-salary earnings prior to the depression, they were obligated to search for jobs for the endurance of their families.
Despite the fact that a majority of women had not labored before, the financial situation compelled the women to go out and become the wage earners of the family unit given that their companions lost their employments. Generally, women had to weigh their household tasks as well as approaches of their families and the complexity of getting employment. Therefore, the choice whether to labor or not depended mainly on women. Working reduced the tasks of women- wives as well as mothers- in their family units. A majority of women- poor, unmarried women, migrants- regarded work to be a need. Whereas more and more women went out to labor or search for employment, on the other hand, bias against wedded women increased.  
It is perhaps important to note that all through the depression; most of the citizens were not thankful or feel appreciative with the fact that a majority of the wedded women were working. The two main justifications why the community singled out the married women were;
* They believed that these women were taking the jobs meant for the men
* The community regarded this as a move to abandon their family units in a period of extreme need.
Even though the community perceived that the men were susceptible that women were taking up their occupations, however, in actual fact, women for the most part labored in production, domestic service, and secretarial work which was in fact meant or associated with the women. The other disparagement was the fact that women were abandoning their household tasks within their homes. These disparagements prompted the central government to apply or sign into law a regulation that wedded women should not be permitted to work for the government in 1930. Community schools, transport organizations, depositories along with other companies that had hired women went ahead to fire them and declined to employ wedded women. Rather than viewing women as allies that maintained the family unit, the society in contrast perceived them as threats for the reason that they weakened the responsibility of men in the households. In summary, based on the knowledge and the challenges that the great depression attracted, it is worth stating that the prejudices put up against the many women were one-dimensional particularly due to the fact that they were joining the labor force not to contend or battle ...