Gender and the Unemployment Insurance Debates in Canada, 1934-1940

The article discusses the significance of gender in the debate over unemployment insurance in Canada in the late 1930s. The longstanding belief that the man was the head of the household is described, noting that the Great Depression undermined men's confidence in their role as head of the household and main provider. The question of how concern for women was related to the debate over unemployment insurance is discussed, noting that the large number of unemployed women in the Great Depression was almost entirely ignored at the time.