Creating Gender Equity Within the Penitentiary System in Canada

Women’s inequality exists in all levels of Canadian society. The “unequal distribution of power, wealth and privileges between men and women”, or gender stratification (Macionis, Jansson & Benoit, 2009, p. 256), has created an entrenched patriarchal system in Canadian society. Such system gives men greater power and privileges over women (Hiller, 2006). Disparities in the opportunities between female and male Canadians have gone beyond the usual settings (workplace, family, and/or politics); it is in the Canadian prison system where gendered inequality is the most visible (Dell, Fillmore, & Kilty, 2009). It is a fact that in all societies women receive stricter normative control than men, reinforcing the world’s patriarchal dominance as a whole (Macionis et al., 2006). In a penal system that is originally designed to punish male offenders, women are constantly reminded of their expected role in society; that is, of a submissive and passive individual (Parkes & Pate 2006). This paper argues that the Canadian penal system is designed to preserve men’s dominance over women, directly affecting the conditions of female inmates. In fact, patriarchy is so rooted in Canadian society, that it affects the whole process of incarceration. The existence of patriarchy in the process of women’s imprisonment shapes their expected behaviour as women and inmates; it creates an acceptable definition of criminality in which women are excluded or sensationalized; it weakens their ability to overcome abuses throughout the penal system, and deteriorates social programs that could help ameliorate their time in prison (Dell et al., 2009; Parkes & Pate, 2006; Pollar & Brezina, 2006).

Canada is usually perceived by the international community as a country...

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