The Gendered Dimensions of Social Insurance for the Non-Poor in Canada

This article emerges from an exploration of the meanings of consumer bankruptcy in the current context of Canadian society, as well as the role consumer bankruptcy plays in shaping this context. Examining consumer bankruptcy through the lens of gender relations, the claim is made that Canadian consumer bankruptcy legislation, policies, practices, and accompanying discourses are implicated in the causation and perpetuation of the conditions of marginalization and subordination endured by women who experience long-term poverty. These women are affected not only in terms of access to the bankruptcy system, but also by the broader implications of the delivery of consumer bankruptcy services and the accompanying discourses which, functioning as a form of social insurance for the middle-class, reinforce values of individualism. The increasing number of women filing for consumer bankruptcy, documented in the empirical data, is consistent with this claim, as it can be seen that middle-class women are the primary new beneficiaries of consumer bankruptcy in Canada