Women in the Canadian Academic Tundra: Challenging the Chill

Recently we have seen a heightened awareness of the unequal treatment of women in the academic community in general and, in particular, of how part-time, sessional, and contract positions are being used to exploit academics. Women in the Canadian Academic Tundra is a timely call for action. It is a brave testimony to the persistence and resilience of women who, against many odds, continue to contribute to the academy with energy and determination. Their touching stories will appeal to all working women as well as to scholars of social sciences and women studies, equity groups, human rights advocates, and agents of governments. Unlike many impersonal statistical reports on the subject of inequality, the narratives in Women in the Canadian Academic Tundra describe the personal experiences, both rewarding and frustrating, of women in the often inhospitable academic setting. Full-timers, part-timers, prominent researchers, and high-ranking administrators intersect with immigrant women, Aboriginal women, women of different cultural and ethnic groups, and women who are physically challenged and health impaired. These women come to life through these narratives and observations, offering several centuries of experience in the academy.