JustResearch Edition no. 13
- 1. Women as Holders of University Degrees in Law and Jurisprudence
- 2. A Statistical Profile on Vulnerable Canadians
- 3. Rights vs. Marriage: The Same-Sex Marriage Debate Continues
Research in Brief
1. Women as Holders of University Degrees in Law and Jurisprudence
Dr. Fernando Mata, Senior Research Officer, Research and Statistics Division
INTRODUCTION
Women are becoming more interested in pursuing careers in the area of law and jurisprudence in Canada. They are overcoming academic barriers that impeded their access to the legal profession in the past and are slowly changing the demographic landscape of the population holding these types of university degrees. Topic-based tabulations drawn from the 1991 and 2001 Population Census were examined to track the progress made by women in terms of the possession of university degrees in the fields of law and jurisprudence. The population examined consisted of individuals aged 20 years and older reporting the possession of university degrees in different fields of study.
THE OVERALL PICTURE
Between 1991 and 2001, the number of individuals aged 20 years old and over holding university degrees in law and jurisprudence increased by 36% (from 84,295 to 114,895). Between 1991 and 2001, about 30,600 individuals entered the pool of law and jurisprudence graduates—18,480 women and 12,120 men. In 1991, men represented 70% of the pool of university graduates holding law or jurisprudence degrees, while women represented only 30%. Ten years later, 62% of degree holders were male and 38% were female. The number of female degree holders increased from 25,340 in 1991 to 43,820 in 2001, representing a 73% growth between census periods. The corresponding number of male degree holders increased from 58,995 in 1991 to 71,075 in 2001, representing a 20% growth over census periods.
University Degrees in Law and Jurisprudence: Canada 1991 and 2001
[Description]
Source: Topic Based Tabulation, Field of Study, 2001 Census, Table Cat No. 970018XCBO 1002, Statistics Canada
BREAKING THE GENDER DOMINATION IN ALL FIELDS OF STUDY
The greater presence of women as university graduates was felt not only in terms of law and jurisprudence but also in other fields of study traditionally dominated by men (see Table 1). In Canada, these fields have been concentrated in areas such as mathematics, computer sciences, physical sciences and engineering. In 1991, women holding degrees in the mathematics, computer and physical sciences group represented 28% of graduates, and women holding degrees in the engineering and applied sciences group represented 15% of graduates. In 2001, these percentages had risen to 32% and 23% respectively.
Table 1 - Population with University Certificates By Gender and Field of Study
| Fields of Study | Females (%) | Males (%) | Total (%) | Number of Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational, recreational and counselling | 68% | 32% | 100% | 567,245 |
| Health professions and related technologies | 64% | 36% | 100% | 294,095 |
| Fine and applied arts | 64% | 36% | 100% | 77,085 |
| Humanities and related fields | 55% | 45% | 100% | 339,570 |
| Other social sciences | 51% | 49% | 100% | 390,060 |
| Agricultural, biological, nutritional, and food sciences | 48% | 52% | 100% | 139,210 |
| Commerce, management and business administration | 35% | 65% | 100% | 474,625 |
| Law and Jurisprudence | 30% | 70% | 100% | 84,295 |
| Mathematics, computer and physical sciences | 28% | 72% | 100% | 199,255 |
| Applied science technologies and trades | 15% | 85% | 100% | 5,260 |
| Engineering and applied sciences | 8% | 92% | 100% | 281,770 |
| All fields | 47% | 53% | 100% | 2,852,470 |
| Fields of Study | Females (%) | Males (%) | Total (%) | Number of Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational, recreational and counselling | 69% | 31% | 100% | 760,310 |
| Health professions and related technologies | 67% | 33% | 100% | 416,085 |
| Fine and applied arts | 65% | 35% | 100% | 117,005 |
| Humanities and related fields | 59% | 41% | 100% | 485,310 |
| Other social sciences | 57% | 43% | 100% | 613,895 |
| Agricultural, biological, nutritional, and food sciences | 52% | 48% | 100% | 203,400 |
| Commerce, management and business administration | 43% | 57% | 100% | 746,715 |
| Law and Jurisprudence | 38% | 62% | 100% | 114,895 |
| Mathematics, computer and physical sciences | 32% | 68% | 100% | 336,935 |
| Applied science technologies and trades | 23% | 77% | 100% | 12,245 |
| Engineering and applied sciences | 15% | 85% | 100% | 464,550 |
| All fields | 51% | 49% | 100% | 4,271,345 |
- Other Social Sciences includes all other non Law or Jurisprudence social science fields
- Source: Table Cat. No. 97F0018XCB01002-Major Fields of Study
CONCLUSION
Census data suggests that, following a general trend, women are choosing law and jurisprudence more and more often as a career in Canada. This is reflected in a greater number of women in the pool of university graduates. In 2001, two in five individuals with law and jurisprudence university degrees were women. With more women interested in the study of law, it is anticipated that female graduates may significantly contribute to the growth of the field in the next years and affect approaches to the practice of law in an innovative way.
2. A Statistical Profile on Vulnerable Canadians
Jacinthe Loubier, Statistical Officer, Research and Statistics Division
INTRODUCTION
Canadians have to face many barriers in their daily lives. Economic and social barriers can have an impact on where they live and what type of job they have. Furthermore, their cultural background, level of education, and standard of living can act as barriers and make them more susceptible to discrimination and criminal victimization. The groups most affected by these barriers are considered vulnerable. These vulnerable groups include women (especially those who are widowed, divorced, separated, or are lone parents), children and youth, persons with low income, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, and aboriginal people. The following statistical profile provides demographic and victimization statistics on vulnerable groups in Canada .
DEMOGRAPHIC STATISTICS
Women
- In 2001, half (50%) of the Canadian population was female—12.2 million female adults and 3.5 million female children and youth.
- Forty-three per cent (43%) of the women were single, 39% were legally married, 8% were widowed, 7% were divorced, and 4% were separated.
- Women were four times more likely than men to be lone parents (81% vs. 19%).
Children and Youth
- In 2001, children (aged 0 to 11) represented 15% of the total population, while youth (aged 12 to 17) represented 8% of the total population.
- Males slightly outnumbered females in these age groups, accounting for 51% of the population under 18 years of age.
- The vast majority (84%) of all children and youth in Canada lived in the most populous provinces: Ontario (39%), Quebec (22%), British Columbia (13%), and Alberta (11%).
- In the three territories, children and youth accounted for a much larger share of the population than in the provinces. In 2001, one third (33%) of all residents of the three territories were under the age of 18, as opposed to 23% in the provinces. This figure was highest in Nunavut, where 42% of the population was under the age of 18, compared to 31% in the Northwest Territories and 26% in Yukon.
Persons with Low Income
- In 2004, nearly a quarter (24%) of the population held jobs that paid less than $10 per hour[12] (in 2001 dollars), while one in ten Canadians (10%) held jobs paying $30 or more per hour.
- In 2000, women were twice as likely to have low income jobs as men (22% vs. 12%). However, the difference is decreasing, since in 1981 they were three times as likely as men to have low income jobs (26% vs. 9%).
- In 2000, the percentage of persons earning a low wage was high among the less educated[13] (47%), young workers[14] (16%), and recent immigrants (27%).
Persons with Disabilities
- In 2001, 12.4% of all Canadians had one or more disabilities.
- The rate of disability amongst seniors (41%) was four times higher than that of the working age population (10%) and ten times higher than that of the population of children (3%).
- Disability rates for all age groups were the highest in the province of Nova Scotia and the lowest in the province of Quebec (seniors: 49% vs. 28%; working age: 14% vs. 7%; children: 4% vs. 2%).
- At the national and provincial levels, mobility, agility, and pain-related disabilities were the most common types of disability.
Visible Minorities
- The visible minority population is steadily growing and has more than doubled in the last 15 years, increasing from 1.6 million in 1986 to 4 million in 2001. This represents an increase from 6% of the total population in 1986 to 12% of the total population in 2001.
- The vast majority of visible minorities live in highly populated urban areas, such as Toronto (43% of the city's population) and Vancouver (18% of the city's population).
Aboriginal People
- According to the 2001 census, about 976,000 individuals identified themselves as Aboriginals, including North American Indian (608,850), Métis (292,305), and Inuit (45,070). They represented about 3% of the total Canadian population.
- The majority of Aboriginal people live off-reserve and in urban areas. Even though the highest number of Aboriginal people were found in Ontario (188,315), significant numbers lived in western cities like Winnipeg (55,755), Edmonton (40,930), and Vancouver (36,860).
VICTIMIZATION STATISTICS
Reported Victims of Violent Crime
Violent crime includes sexual assault, assault and robbery.
Source: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics – Profile Series June 2001 and Statistics Canada General Social Survey 1999.
- Just over one-third (35%) of Aboriginal people reported being the victim of a crime in the previous year. Aboriginal people are also at a much higher risk than non-Aboriginal people for violent victimizations and theft of personal property.
- A pproximately 40% of youth reported being the victim of a crime in the previous year; female youth were at a slightly higher risk of violent victimization compared to male youth.
- Canadians with a household income of less than $15,000 (25%) were less likely to be victimized than those with an income of $60,000 or more (31%). Those with higher incomes also had a higher rate of personal property theft (7.5%) compared to low income Canadians (5.7%). However, the risk of violent victimization was greater for low income households (19.2%) compared to high income households (10.5%).
- Approximately 24% of disabled persons were victimized at least once in the preceding year. They reported lower rates of personal property theft (7.5%) but higher rates of violent victimization (14.7%).
- Women and men had similar overall risks of victimization; however, women were more likely to be victims of sexual assault (3.3% vs. 0.8%), while men were more likely to be victims of robbery (1.2% vs. 0.7%).
- In 2003, 84% of victims of abduction, 47% of victims of other sexual offences, and 24% of victims of sexual assault were children under the age of 12. Among males victims of sexual assault, half (51%) were children, while among females victims of sexual assault, one-fifth (20%) were children.
References
- Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. 2001. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series: Aboriginal peoples in Canada . 85-F0033MIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. 2001. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series: Canadian with disabilities. 85-F0033MIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. 2001. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series:Canadian with low incomes . 85-F0033MIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. 2001. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series: Children and youth in Canada . 85-F0033MIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. 2001. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series: Women in Canada . 85-F0033MIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. 2001. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series: Visible minorities in Canada. 85-F0033MIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. 2004. Canadian Crime Statistics 2003 . 85-205. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Morissette R., and G. Picot. 2005. Low-paid work and economically vulnerable families over the last two decades . Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Social Development Canada . 2001. Participation and Activity Limitation Survey . Ottawa: Social Development Canada.
- Statistics Canada . n. d. Census 2001 Database. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Statistics Canada . 2001. A profile of criminal victimization: Results of the 1999 General Social Survey . 85-553-XIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
3. Rights vs. Marriage: The Same-Sex Marriage Debate Continues
Allison Millar, Statistical Officer, Research and Statistics Division
According to a February 2005 EKOS poll, more than half (55%) of Canadians believe that recognizing same-sex couples is part of the positive evolutionary process where everyone receives equal rights regardless of gender, race, or sexual preference. In contrast, 39% of Canadians feel that recognizing same-sex couples violates the fundamental nature of the family and will have serious consequences for society. The numbers from both sides of the debate are unchanged since 2003.
Figure 1 - Majority (55%) View Same-Sex Couple Recognition as Positive
When Canadians were asked if same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples, a majority (60%) feel they should have the same rights. Far fewer (28%) Canadians disagree with this statement. Over the last five years, support for same-sex equality has gradually increased by fifteen percent (15%), while opposition has declined by nearly ten percent (10%).
Figure 2 - Six in Ten Canadians Support Same-Sex Equality
While a majority (60%) believe in same-sex equality, when Canadians were directly asked whether they support same-sex marriage, significantly fewer Canadians (42%) indicate support. However, support for same-sex marriage has increased by six percentage points since 2003. Overall, Canadians appear to have firm opinions on the issue of same-sex marriage, as there are notably fewer (17%) in 2005 that are undecided about the issue. The numbers indicate that those who were undecided (23%) in 2003 have now shifted in favour of same-sex marriage.
Figure 3 - Slight Increase in Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Same-sex Rights: An International Perspective
According to an October 2004 International Gallup Poll, just over half of Canadians (51%) and Britons (52%) support the view that same-sex marriages should be recognized by the law as valid with the same rights as traditional marriages, in comparison to 35% of Americans. In all three countries, respondents are more likely to support civil unions for same-sex couples. In Canada and Britain , more than 60% favour civil unions between same-sex couples with close to a third opposing them. While Americans are more supportive of civil unions, they are equally split on the issue. Nearly half (49%) favour a law that would allow same-sex couples to legally form civil unions, while an almost equal percentage (48%) oppose the idea.
Results from the February 2005 EKOS poll indicate that Canadians have opposing views regarding the message that supporting same-sex marriage in Canada sends to the international community. When asked which statement is closest to their point of view, 50% of Canadians think that endorsing same-sex marriage rights would be a positive signal to the world about Canada's values and beliefs, while 42% think that endorsing same-sex rights would be a negative signal to the world. Eight percent (8%) of Canadians are undecided about the signal sent to the world by endorsing same-sex marriage rights.
Overall, although the trend is towards greater support for same-sex marriage and equality, the percentage that opposes same-sex marriage remains significant.
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