Women’s Roles
The industrial and deindustrial life
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Before industrialisation transformed Montreal, life in the colony was largely agrarian and family-centered. In preindustrial Montreal, women’s roles were deeply intertwined with domestic responsibilities and the management of household enterprises. Although they were often confined to the home, women participated in family-run workshops and small-scale commerce. In a society where the boundaries between the public and private spheres were less rigid than they would later become, women were seen as essential contributors to the family’s economic survival. Their work ranged from managing home-based production—such as spinning, weaving, and small-scale trading—to assisting with the agricultural labor that sustained the household. Socially, while women were expected to uphold domestic virtues, the scarcity of female labor also granted them a valued if limited, role in the economic and social fabric of early Montreal.
With the advent of industrialization in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Montreal emerged as a bustling industrial center. However, the opportunities available to women were strictly confined by prevailing social norms. Women were typically allowed to work in sectors deemed “appropriate” for their gender: textile mills, garment factories, and clerical roles in office settings. For instance, at companies like Northern Electric, women were hired primarily for assembly, inspection, and routine manufacturing tasks—jobs that, although essential to the production process, were lower paid and offered fewer prospects for advancement compared to positions occupied by men. This gendered division of labor was reinforced by societal expectations, which held that a woman’s primary domain was the home. Despite these limitations, many women began to assert their rights and challenge their marginalization.
NORTHERN ELECTRIC
Women at Northern Electric played a vital role in ensuring production quality by handling assembly and inspection tasks, even as they navigated lower wages and limited advancement opportunities.
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As the Second World War unfolded, the fabric of Montreal’s workforce began to change dramatically. With thousands of men conscripted or enlisted to fight overseas, industries faced severe labor shortages. This opened up opportunities for women to step into roles that had been previously inaccessible. During the war, women not only took on conventional “female” jobs but also began working in more technically demanding and physically challenging positions in factories—contributing to the production of munitions and other wartime supplies. Although their wages still lagged behind those of men, the wartime period marked a significant turning point: women demonstrated their capacity to perform essential industrial work, thereby challenging traditional gender norms and altering public perceptions about women’s place in the workforce.
Following the war, Montreal experienced a period of deindustrialization as traditional manufacturing sectors began to decline and industries restructured in response to global economic pressures. This period of economic transition had a profound impact on gender roles in the city. Men, who had long held positions in heavy industry and skilled trades, were disproportionately affected by layoffs and factory closures. In contrast, many women found themselves in the service sector and other areas of work that were less vulnerable to deindustrialization. As these shifts occurred, some households witnessed a dramatic change: for the first time in history, women could become the sole breadwinners. This transformation was not merely a reversal of traditional roles but a significant reconfiguration of economic power within families. Women’s steady and increasingly indispensable contributions to household income during deindustrialization highlighted their resilience and capacity to support their families in times of economic uncertainty.
Throughout these periods of economic and social change, the acceptance of women in the workforce remained a contested issue. On one hand, industrial society gradually came to rely on women’s labor, and many sectors adapted to include roles traditionally reserved for them. On the other hand, pervasive stereotypes and discriminatory practices limited women’s advancement, relegating them to lower-status and lower-paid positions. In response, women began organizing and leading protests to demand fair wages, better working conditions, and greater representation in union leadership. Notable among these efforts were women-led strikes in the garment industry and other sectors where female workers banded together to challenge exploitative practices. These protests not only underscored the systemic inequities within Montreal’s industrial landscape but also served as early catalysts for broader movements aimed at achieving gender equality in the workplace.
In sum, the evolution of women’s roles in Montreal—from the intertwined responsibilities of preindustrial life to the constrained but gradually expanding opportunities of the industrial era, and finally to the transformative period of deindustrialization—reflects a complex interplay of economic necessity, social norms, and determined activism. While early industrialization imposed strict limits on the types of work women could do, the exigencies of wartime labor and the subsequent restructuring of the economy created conditions in which women not only participated in the workforce but, in some cases, emerged as the primary providers for their families. Their persistence in challenging discriminatory practices through protest and collective action has left an indelible mark on the city’s labor history, paving the way for ongoing struggles for gender equity and economic justice.
Recomended book
The Point is… Grassroots Organizing Works
Women from Point St. Charles sharing stories of solidarity
— Le Collectif CourtePointe
“Since 2001, the Popular Archives of Point St. Charles have been working on a book on the history of community organizing in this Montreal neighbourhood. The book aims to share the rich traditions of grassroots organizing in Point St. Charles and to recognize its contribution to the history of Québec.
Point St. Charles is widely heralded as a precursor in the development of community organizing in Québec. The history presented in this book is rooted in the oral histories of nine women, five Anglophones and four Francophones, who experienced in their everyday lives, the sizeable transformations that were happening in the neighbourhood. The book helps us better understand the scope of its citizen organizing efforts, as well as to shed light on the role of women who were at the heart of these struggles, playing leadership roles in the attempts to improve neighbourhood living conditions.
Published simultaneously in both French and English, with a great many illustrations, the book deals with many themes, including: citizen struggles for secure and pleasant public space, decent housing, health and social services, popular education, initiatives to stimulate the local economy, the birth of the women’s movement, the founding and constant struggle to preserve the autonomy of the community health clinic.”
LEARN MORE:
Société d'histoire de Pointe‑Saint‑Charles
A nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting the heritage of Pointe‑Saint‑Charles in Montreal. Explore their publications, events, and archival projects to learn more about this historic neighborhood.
Visit the websiteMaison Saint-Gabriel Museum
Discover the story of New France through this historic farmhouse in Pointe‑Saint‑Charles, now a museum dedicated to the legacy of Marguerite Bourgeoys and the early settlers of Montreal.
Visit the museumNordelec
Built in 1913 by Northern Electric, the Nordelec building is a striking example of early 20th‑century industrial architecture in Pointe‑Saint‑Charles, now inspiring modern design projects.
Visit the Mini MuseumParks Canada – Montréal Dressmakers' Strike of 1937 National Historic Event
Learn about the pivotal strike that united thousands of women in Montreal’s garment industry.
Read moreLaframboise, L. (2023). “La Grève de la fierté”: Resisting Deindustrialization in Montréal’s Garment Industry, 1977–1983
This scholarly article uses archival research and oral history interviews to examine how gendered labor relations shaped deindustrialization in Montreal.
Access the articleLa Révolution Tranquille – Women Storm the Labour Market
An accessible resource discussing how Montreal’s women entered and transformed the workforce during major industrial shifts.
Read moreConcordia University Spectrum Repository – Gendered Labour, Immigration, and Deindustrialization in Montreal's Garment Industry
A Master’s thesis that explores the intersections of gender, immigration, and economic restructuring in Montreal’s apparel sector.
Download the thesis
