Contribution to Book
Gender analysis of policy-making in construction and transportation: Denial and disruption in the Canadian green economy
Gender, Intersectionality and Climate Institutions in Industrialized States
(2021)
Abstract
In this chapter we focus on two sectors (construction and transportation) that are deemed critical to Canada’s green economy, but in which women are severely underrepresented. We document and evaluate existing government policies and programs as well as corporate and civil society initiatives from a gender equality perspective. The assessment of gender equality and other forms of diversity in these sectors is complicated by the dearth of gender-disaggregated employment data. Our findings suggest that women are most marginalised in the trades segments of these sectors, in technical positions that require science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) training, and in management, senior leadership and boards of directors of companies. We found that in Canada most green initiatives in these two sectors have been driven by the private sector, non-governmental organisations, municipalities and provincial governments. The federal government has not played an active role in framing and implementing effective policies to enable the transition to a green economy. To optimise the efforts of other actors in the green economy, the federal government must play a stronger leadership role in implementing employment equity policies. Additional research aimed at understanding the outcomes, sustainability and replicability of existing green initiatives is a prerequisite for future legislative changes.
Keywords
- gender equality,
- green economy,
- construction,
- transportation,
- climate change,
- Canada
Disciplines
Publication Date
2021
Citation Information
Bipasha Baruah and Sandra Biskupski-Mujanovic. "Gender analysis of policy-making in construction and transportation: Denial and disruption in the Canadian green economy" Gender, Intersectionality and Climate Institutions in Industrialized States (2021) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/bipasha-baruah/3/