Gender & Development in Inuit Nunangat - Magalie Quintal-Marineau, Anne Curley, Lema Ijtemaye & Eleanor Stephenson

This session explores ‘development’ across Inuit Nunangat from the perspective of Inuit women. Historically, development of the Canadian North has meant aligning Northern economic and social landscapes to southern standards. Many of these transformations originate in the Canadian colonial project initiated to ‘develop’ the North, ‘modernize’ its economy and ‘civilize’ its population. At the same time, Inuit have actively pursued economic well-being on their own terms, including continuing to engage in subsistence harvesting, provisioning, and actively contributing to both Indigenous and Northern market economies. Limited research is available that explores the impact of this modernization agenda on Inuit women and their families, or how Inuit women are pursuing their own visions for economic development and well-being. This session will adopt a critical perspective to examine the multiple gendered facets of development in Inuit Nunangat. Specifically, the session asks: 

1. How do Inuit women participate in economic development in Inuit Nunangat? The discussion will highlight the socio-economic initiatives undertaken by Pauktuutit including addressing Inuit women’s economic prosperity in the resource extraction industry, and enhancing Inuit women’s economic development through platforms such as the Inuit Women in Business Network (IWBN).

2. How do Inuit women participate in the resource extraction industry? Is there meaningful inclusion of Inuit women in regional and/or community consultations regarding Impact Benefits Agreement (IBA) processes? Discussion will be guided by Pauktuutit’s research on the social and economic impacts of resource extraction in Baker Laker, Nunavut (2016) and its Addressing Sexual Harassment and Violence in the Resource Extraction Industry (2019) project. 

3. What are the contributions made by Inuit women to public and political debate, and critical theory concerning development, decolonization and gender?

4. How have ‘modernization’ and economic development programs and policy agendas affected Inuit women’s livelihoods over time?