Globally, poverty has been an integral issue that has affected many individuals in various nations. This is also the case in Canada, whereby millions of Canadians live in poverty. However, in this case, some groups are poor while others are not. As a result, the causes of this poverty go beyond an individual level as it is always associated with systemic factors that have made some groups more vulnerable to poverty. The objective of this paper is to analyze the systemic rationale for which certain groups are more inclined to poverty. Ultimately, this paper argues that certain groups are more inclined to poverty fueled by systemic reasons, which include the impacts of colonization and exploitation on indigenous people, race and gender that set some groups at a disadvantage, and gender and race stereotypes that limit opportunities.

 Certain groups are more inclined to poverty because of the impacts of Canada’s colonialism and exploitation. Generally, among the most affected individuals by poverty in Canada are the indigenous people. Their poverty is profoundly rooted in historical and ongoing systemic factors. According to research, “Indigenous peoples in Canada have roots in poverty tracing back to the 19th and 20th centuries. They had to relocate to reserves where destruction of their traditional way of life combined with the poorly organized set-up of reserves resulted in their impoverishment” (Borgen, 2020). The lecture lessons also affirm that Britain was after land, political domination, and settlements which led to the loss of land, identity, and autonomy among the indigenous people, particularly women (Lesson Three, 2023). The loss of their indigenous lands disrupted their economic resources prompting poverty. Similarly, the dispossession of the indigenous people’s autonomy and identity prompted economic marginalization, contributing to their poverty. The legacy of colonization and exploitation by Europeans has also led to ongoing systemic factors like the inaccessibility of housing, food, healthcare, and government relief programs among the indigenous people of Canada. In the long run, colonization and exploitation are part of the systems that have contributed to poverty among the indigenous people.

Additionally, gender and race also have set some groups at a disadvantage causing poverty. In Canada, gender has placed women at a disadvantage. Compared to men, women find jobs that pay low wages fueled by racial discrimination and occupational segregation. Also, less than ten percent of women hold positions of top-paying jobs. Evidently, “women workers in Canada earned an average of 84 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2019. This wage gap diminishes Canadian women’s earning power, decreases their financial independence, and keeps more women stuck in the cycle of poverty” (CanWaCH, 2019). Thus, it is evident that gender causes low pay among women compared to men, hence keeping women poor. Fueled by race, women of color are even more disadvantaged than White working women in Canada. For example, “working-class women worked in factories, aboriginal and black women worked as domestic servants while middle-class women remained in the home” (Lesson Three, 2023b). This illustrates how gender and race intersect to disadvantage women, hence keeping them in poverty compared to their male counterparts. Even today, the employment rate of Black Canadian women is low compared to their counterparts, fueled by systemic barriers to work like prejudice. Since these women experience high rates of unemployment, and if they are employed, they are paid less, such women are more inclined to poverty.

Gender and race stereotypes also play a significant role in causing poverty among some groups. For many years, the preconceived ideas regarding the abilities and roles of some individuals based on their race or gender have long shaped their educational access, work, and even advancement opportunities. For instance, gender stereotypes display indigenous groups as not ideal for some specific jobs, hence limiting their economic prosperity and prompting poverty. For instance, “the media stereotype Indigenous people as incompetent and lazy, fueling the sentiment that their communities cannot survive without Canadian funding and aid from White Canada” (Burns & Shor, 2021). Gender stereotypes have also portrayed women as household workers and that “family is the predominant workplace for women alone as wives and mothers” (Lesson Two, 2023). This has led to high unemployment rates among women while men are preferred and occupy top positions. Additionally, gender and race stereotypes have classified some groups as more suitable for particular works than others. In the 20^th century, racial stereotypes placed Black women as domestic workers while White Canadians worked in factories with better wages. It was these stereotypes of bodies and race that were used to access better economic and social lives. Consequently, White Canadians found themselves wealthy with good-paying jobs while Black Canadians continued to live in poverty which reflects the current state of poverty in Canada. Generally, gender and race stereotypes have shaped societal views of certain groups’ capabilities, strengthening institutional barriers and reducing opportunities for economic success, hence causing poverty among the stereotyped groups.

To sum up, it is evident that poverty cannot be attributed to individual-level causes only as systemic reasons play a crucial part in causing poverty. For starters, the British colonization exploited the indigenous people’s land and autonomy, and since then, these groups have been disadvantaged economically and are living in poverty fueled by the colonization. Also, gender and race have limited women as they are poorly paid and rarely employed, leaving them in poverty. Regarding race, women of color are even paid less and are less likely to be employed compared to White women. Therefore they are more inclined to poverty. On the other hand, gender and racial stereotypes have caused poverty among some groups as preconceived ideas have shaped their access to education, employment, or advancement opportunities, which determines their quality of life. Overall, systemic factors play a part in creating poverty.