Where Women’s Efforts Count: The 1996 Census Campaign and “Family Politics” in Canada[fn1

Abstract

After more than ten years of organising and lobbying by women's groups, the 1996 Canadian Census included, for the first time, a detailed question about the amount of time people spend on unpaid housework and care giving for children and seniors. According to Statistics Canada, this information was collected to provide a better understanding of how these unpaid activities contribute to the well-being of Canadians. However, behind this formal explanation lies an on-going political struggle over who is or should be responsible for the socially necessary work of taking care of people, especially dependent children and elders, and how that work should be socially recognized and organised.