Canadian Women's Issues Volume II: Bold Visions

by Ruth Roach Pierson and Marjorie Griffin Cohen,
1995 James Lorimer & Company Ltd., $27.95
Review by Susan May

Bold Visions is about feminist politics and women's struggle, between 1967 and 1994, for a more equitable Canadian society. The book celebrates women's achievements in a variety of spheres including domestic work, paid work, education, economic policy and global initiatives. Bold Visions is the second volume of the Canadian Women's Issues series, and it chronicles the ways feminists in English- speaking Canada have brought about social change through bold actions and visions. It complements volume I of the series, covering topics related to the politics of the body, the politics of difference, social policy, the justice system, and culture.

Each chapter in volume II begins with an introductory essay followed by historical documents representing a wonderful collection of women's stories about struggles for equality and improved access to employment and education. I was delighted to read again Judy Syfer's 1971 article, "Why I Want a Wife," in which she angrily and persuasively exposes society's expectation of women's subordination and subservience. I was also happy to be reminded of how much better it is to be a working woman in the 1990s than the 1970s when it was legal for job advertisements to discriminate between "help wanted female" and "help wanted male." As a member of CCLOW, I appreciated seeing several articles originally published in Women's Education des femmes included in the chapter on education and training, attesting to the relevant and important work undertaken by this feminist organization over the past two decades.

Some of the optimism feminists displayed in previous decades has been eroded. Ruth Pierson and Marjorie Cohen caution us to be wary of the conservative politics at play in the 1990s and to recognize the backlash and the unpopularity of the feminist message. Women's struggle does not get easier and resistance remains strong. Despite rhetoric to the contrary, job and language training for women has not improved and many women's studies and bridging programs have been threatened, if not cut altogether.

Not all the problems experienced by women rest with power elites, however. Throughout the book, the women's movement is criticized for its white middle-class bias and for its insensitivity towards the lived experience of "minority" women. Repeatedly the authors suggest that feminists welcome and incorporate diversity into critiques and activism efforts, and that we work internationally and globally, as well as locally. Black women, poor women, lesbians, women with disabilities and women of colour often have been excluded. In a document published originally in 1981, Black feminist Carmen Henry contends that, "our white sisters have to address the real issues of the economic racial oppression among non-white women" (p.240). Over ten years later, her call to action remains relevant.

Bold Visions will be of interest to teachers, students, community activists and those wanting to understand the present day women's movement in Canada. Not only are the essays themselves thoughtfully presented, the accompanying historical documents make a wonderful addition to personal libraries, and the extensive bibliographies are of interest to those wishing to do further reading. I appreciate how important issues of concern to Canadians have been presented and analyzed, and how Pierson in particular has recorded the feminist movement's development "from a preoccupation with women's issues narrowly and parochially defined to a growing recognition that all issues are women's issues" (p.393).

The authors' commitment to, and experience with, collective and political action enriches the text. Ruth Pierson is a professor of women's history and feminist studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Marjorie Cohen is an economist who is a professor of women's studies and political science at Simon Fraser University in B.C. Using the voices of feminists over a twenty-seven year period, the authors challenge readers to strengthen their commitment to making Canadian society better than it is. Having read the five chapters and the supporting documents, I feel encouraged to join other feminist to carry on this work-not only through CCLOW, but in my educational institution and local community as well.

Susan May participates on the national board of CCLOW as the provincial director from Nova Scotia. She is a faculty member at St. Francis Xavier University in the Master of Adult Education program, and resides in Antigonish.