Results of the Survey of Canadian Graduate Students and Pregnancy/Childcare Concerns

Abstract

Last fall/winter I conducted a survey titled “A Survey for Canadian Women Graduate Students in History.” There was also a version for men. The survey was somewhat inspired by the 1991 Report on the Status of Women Graduate Students in History in Canada (CHA Bulletin Volume 17, Number 1). In that report, it was clear to me that women in particular faced a struggle to balance their careers and their families.Women felt discriminated against for choosing to have children, or they delayed having children for fears of how it would impact their careers. Among my friends and peers, I have been hearing similar concerns, and I wanted to see if this was still an important issue for Canadian graduate students in history.