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SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA

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An Introduction
Third Edition

Chapter 10: Social Work with Women

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Social Work With Women

 Social Work Beginnings

 Equal Pay and Employment Equity
 Persistent Problems
 Sexism and Gender Equality
 Principles of Feminist Practice
 Violence Against Women
 Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment
 What Is the Role of a Social Worker?
 Other Areas of Social Work Intervention

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Social Work Beginnings

 Movement for greater participation of

women in public life arose at the end
of the 19th century.
 Women were typically maternal
feminists

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Social Work Beginnings

There were a number of strands:

1. Temperance movement
2. Women’s missionary and charities
3. Suffragette movement

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Equal Pay and Employment Equity

Many legislative changes in the post-war

period
fostered greater equality for women:
1. Equal pay policies
2. Equal employment policies
3. Other facilitating policies

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Persistent Problems

There are persistent problems for women

in
many areas of economic life:
 Poverty  Free trade and
 Part-time work globalization
 Minimum wage legislation  Pension programs
 Maternity and parental leave  Recessions
 Dependent care  Employment insurance
programs

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Persistent Problems

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Persistent Problems

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Sexism and Gender Equality

Gender
How we identify as male, female, or
transgendered and
adhere to cultural norms of femininity and
masculinity;
in contrast to sex, which is biological.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Sexism and Gender Equality

Gender Equality
Means that women and men live in an environment
that
affords them equal opportunity to realize full human
rights; to contribute to national, political, economic,
social, and cultural development; and to benefit from
the
results.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Sexism and Gender Equality

Sexism
Prejudice or discrimination based on a person’s
sex. It
is a system of discriminatory, interrelated
physical and
social controls, derogatory beliefs and
institutional- and
societal-level policies.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Sexism and Gender Equality

Patriarchy
Literally means “rule by the father” but, in a
broader
sense, it has come to mean the domination of
society
by men.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Principles of Feminist Practice

There are thirteen components of feminist social

work practice:
1. Validating the social context
2. Re-valuing positions enacted by women
3. Recognizing difference in male & female
experiences
4. Re-balancing perceptions of normality and deviance
5. Taking an inclusive stance
6. Paying attention to power dynamics

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Principles of Feminist Practice

Components of feminist social work practice cont’d:

7. Recognizing how “the personal is political”

8. Taking a deconstructive stance
9. Taking a partnering stance
10. Fostering inclusive scholarship
11. Challenging reductionist models
12. Adopting empowerment practice
13. Countering the myth of value-free psychotherapy

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Violence Against Women

 Many social workers take exception to

the phrase “family violence” or
“domestic violence”
 They believe it glosses over the fact
that it is usually men who are violent
against women
 According to Statistics Canada 2004, 7%
of women experienced spousal violence
in the previous 5 years
Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada
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Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

Sexual Assault
Any form of unwanted sexual activity including
fondling,
touching, and penetration, that is forced upon
another
person without that person’s consent.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment
Any unwanted behaviour, comment, gesture, or
contact
of a sexual nature that treats the person
receiving it as
a sexual object.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

Acquaintance Sexual Assault

Also called date rape, acquaintance sexual
assault
involves an assailant who is known to the victim.
Forty
percent of sexual assaults are this type.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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What is the Role of a Social Worker?

The role of social workers in helping abused

women may include crisis intervention, support
and empowerment, support group facilitation,
and the provision of information.

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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What is the Role of a Social Worker?

The social worker may partake in one or

several of the following activities:
 Intervene in a crisis
 Facilitate an empowerment approach
 Listen to what the women has to say and
empathetically respond
 Connect the woman to a support group
 Teach the woman how to assess the
assault/homicide potential

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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What is the Role of a Social Worker?

 Make an appropriate referral

 Teach the woman how to recognize abuse,
name the problem and its source, and avoid
self-blame
 Advise the abused women of her legal rights
 Mobilize safety, legal, and community
resources effectively

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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What is the Role of a Social Worker?

 Implement agency policy regarding

mandated reporting and keep accurate
records
 Use the consultative process and review
one’s referrals and interventions
 Complete the crisis management and follow-
up referral or treatment steps
 Provide full follow-up and counselling with the
woman and her assailant

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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What is the Role of a Social Worker?

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Other Areas of Social Work
Intervention

Women and poverty

 Mounting numbers of women with low
incomes and lone-parent mothers are
receiving social services across Canada.
Phrase coined to capture the problem – the
feminization of poverty

Women and HIV/AIDS

 Number and percentage of women living
with HIV/AIDS in increasing

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Websites

 Status of Women of Canada

www.swc-cfc.gc.ca

 National Clearinghouse on Family Violence

www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence

 Canada Health Coalition

www.healthcoalition.ca
 International Museum of Women
www.imow.org

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

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Questions for Discussion

What social work programs today have

their
roots in campaigns of the early women’s
movements?

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Questions for Discussion

What are some of the reasons behind why such

a large proportion of part-time workers in
Canada are women?

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Questions for Discussion

In what ways does sexism create barriers

for
women’s economic opportunity?

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Questions for Discussion

How can social workers be involved in

addressing discrimination against women from
a practice perspective? From a policy
perspective?

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Questions for Discussion

In what ways does violence against women

influence child poverty?

Chapter 10: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Women Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.