Grade 11 - GENDER STUDIES

Women’s rights

Assess the contribution of Canadian legislation as well as government and employment policies to gender equity in the workplace (e.g., pay equity legislation, employment equity legislation, human rights codes, maternity and parental leave policies, equity and anti-discrimination policies), and explain how these policies were achieved. Teacher prompts: “Why do Canadian women continue to earn less than men despite at least two decades of pay equity legislation? Why do women from some visible minorities, including Aboriginal women, earn even less than other women?” “What kinds of access or equity issues in the workplace might be of concern to transsexual individuals? How might legislation or policies address these concerns?” “What role has unionization played in improving wages and benefits for women?” “In what ways have women’s organizing and lobbying resulted in better working conditions and improved health and safety for women workers?” “What are some of the limitations of legislative and policy changes in achieving equity in the workplace?”

LGBTQ rights

Describe issues associated with the recognition of the rights of sexual minorities (e.g., same-sex marriage laws, adoption rights for same-sex families, rights of hijras in India), and explain how they relate to gender issues. Teacher prompt: “What are some of the assumptions about appropriate gender roles that might affect people’s views on same-sex marriage or adoption rights for same-sex families?”