Research in Brief
Addressing Inuit Women’s Economic Security and Prosperity in the Resource Extraction Industry

This brief is based on the report entitled: Addressing Inuit Women’s Economic Security and Prosperity in the Resource Extraction Industry, 2021 (PDF), written by Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada^{Footnote 1}.

Background

Inuit women have been working in the resource extraction industry for decades, often representing the largest proportion of female workers at mines in Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland in Canada encompassing the land claims regions of Nunavut, Nunavik in Northern Quebec, Nunatsiavut in Northern Labrador and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories and Yukon). Historically, the resource extraction industry has been male-dominated, which can expose Indigenous women to racism and discrimination in the workplace, unequal opportunities for economic security and prosperity, as well as experiences of sexual violence and harassment.

This report builds on existing research completed by Pauktuutit in 2014, 2016 and 2020, which explored the impacts of resource extraction on Inuit women and families more broadly. This report sheds light on the reality of workplace sexual violence and harassment for Inuit women in Inuit Nunangat. The report also identifies gaps, opportunities and recommendations related to Inuit women’s economic security and prosperity in the region.

Method

This project used a “mixed methods” approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data through a survey, using open- and close-ended questions to allow respondents to provide a range of responses, particularly on potentially sensitive issues. The survey was designed in close collaboration with Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, their Project Advisory Committee and Firelight Research Inc. Pauktuutit pre-tested the draft survey with four Inuit women who had worked in the resource extraction industry. This pre-test was an important step considering the nature of the subject matter, and to ensure that the approaches taken were respectful of Inuit culture.

The survey was completed by 29 women from Arviat (Nunavut), Qamani'tuaq (Nunavut), Salluit (Nunavik), and Inuvik (Inuvialuit).

Limitations

The report’s findings are limited to the literature reviewed by Pauktuutit and the experiences of the women who participated in the research. Therefore, the results are best understood as a partial and conservative representation of the full range of perspectives from Inuit women who work in the resource extraction industry.

Additionally, participants responded only to questions that they wished to answer; as questions could be skipped at any time, data is limited to what participants were able and willing to report.

Key Findings

Economic Security

The survey reveals that many Inuit women in the resource extraction industry are disproportionately underpaid. Two of 29 women surveyed reported earning more than $80,000, while nearly 11 reported their average annual household income as $20,000 or less. This is in stark contrast to Nunavut's median after-tax household income of $85,605 (as of 2016).  This is particularly staggering considering that many of the women surveyed were the primary provider for their family.

Sexual harassment and violence

Survey results show that more than half of the surveyed Inuit women experienced some form of sexual harassment and violence while working in the industry (including unwanted sexual comments or so-called jokes, unwanted sexual touching and emotional abuse). Although 45% of the women said they never experienced such incidents in the resource extraction industry, other women reported dealing with intense and varying forms of sexual violence and harassment on a recurring basis. Inuit women who responded to the survey generally felt safe at remote work sites, but their sense of security varied by time of day and occupation. For instance, some felt vulnerable when working in private spaces such as bathrooms (e.g., for janitorial positions) and during off-work hours.

Most women responded that the offender was not someone they knew outside of the workplace. Most also stated that they did not have the same employment position as the offender. These findings suggest that offenders are largely strangers.

Reporting and outcomes

Women respondents who did not report instances of sexual violence and harassment gave various reasons for not doing so. These included: embarrassment, fear of losing their job, unapproachable management, and, in some cases, there being no one to whom they could report. Experiences of harassment caused some Inuit women to leave their position, while others stayed because they needed the income or because the company acted and offender no longer worked at the site.

The women surveyed also noted that the human resource professionals to whom they might report incidents are predominantly non-Inuit. The lack of Inuit staff in human resources poses a significant barrier to reporting, as women do not want to report to those who may not understand the issue, or to whom they have no relationship or affinity.

Although Inuit women reported understanding their rights regarding sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, there are significant barriers to acting on this knowledge and accessing services. This results in the under-reporting of all instances of harassment and violence.

Respondents of the survey also identified the following opportunities for action:

• Hire more Inuit women in supervisory, managerial, and human resource roles
• Revise policies and practices around sexual harassment and violence
• Provide employee training that is both robust and relevant
• Improve social, cultural and emotional support services in the workplace
• Ensure offenders are held accountable and face real consequences, both within the company and the community

Policy and Program Implications

The report’s findings touch upon the pillars of It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence and of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, including an emphasis on the importance of prevention and awareness, support for survivors and their families, and social infrastructure and enabling environment. Inuit women welcome employment in the resource industry, as it allows them to support their families and participate in meaningful work, but they want to see decisive action taken by resource extraction companies operating in Inuit Nunangat to improve the experience of Inuit women working in the industry.