Isabella Bakker

There’s common consensus that Canadian men and woman are equal now in terms of income and status. But by assuming that, we could be widening a gap that already exists, says Isabella Bakker.

The media and Canada’s two major political parties assume inequality is no longer a factor, so it’s no longer considered when making public policy. But by assuming that, we could be worsening the systematic gap between the income and status of men and women, said Bakker, a York University political science professor.

Bakker will speak on the subject at an upcoming Trudeau lecture hosted by Brock University on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Bakker, a Laureate Trudeau Fellow, will deliver “Beyond the Strategic Silence: Towards the Global Economic Empowerment of Women.”

In the lecture, she’ll examine whether feminism is still relevant for addressing questions of inequality in Canada. While the plight of women internationally gets most of our attention, important evidence shows a need to look at the situation within Canada, she said.

Since the mid 1990s, Canada’s position has fallen substantially on global indicators such as the United Nation’s Human Development Index and is Gender-Related Development Index, she said.

Within Canada, the current popular thought is that the individual is responsible for his or her success, and innate barriers for women no longer exist, Bakker said.

“There’s been a whole shift in government approach, and it’s not unique to Canada,” she said. “It’s spreading throughout the western world.”

As a result, the situation for women – particularly marginalized women, such as those from Aboriginal communities – will only get worse.

The Brock lecture is part of Bakker’s three-year term as a Trudeau Fellow. With a background in social research and the women’s movement, Bakker is a leading authority in the fields of political economy, public finance, gender and development. She has held consultancies with the Canadian and Ontario governments, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations, as well as numerous women’s advocacy groups.

The Trudeau fellowship is a sign of one’s national and international reputation, said Thomas Dunk, Dean of Social Sciences.

“Trudeau Fellows are among Canada’s most outstanding scholars and the Trudeau Foundation is a prestigious organization supported by important and influential Canadians,” Dunk said. “That it has chosen Brock to host one of its lectures is another strong indication of Brock’s growing national and international reputation for scholarship and community engagement and, given the subject of Dr. Bakker’s talk, the high regard for Brock’s commitment to social justice and equity issues.”

The lecture will be at 7 p.m. at Pond Inlet. Admission is free and a reception will follow.