Position Paper #3

Portrayals of Women and Minorities in Canadian Media: Discrimination, Empowerment, and Cultural Influences

The way women and minority groups are represented across Canada’s news, entertainment, and advertising industries plays a powerful role in shaping how society understands identity, culture, and belonging. Although Canada is widely known for its multicultural values and commitments to inclusion, media portrayals often reveal a more complicated picture. Some representations feel modern, empowering, and progressive, while others revive older stereotypes that reflect lingering cultural biases, political tensions, and sometimes even religious expectations. Examining the portrayal of women and minorities in Canadian newspapers, television, film, social media, and advertisements helps highlight both the significant progress made and the areas where discrimination still persists.

In Canadian news coverage, women and minority groups have historically been underrepresented or narrowly portrayed, especially in political reporting and crime stories. A major study from the non-profit Informed Opinions found that women represented only 29% of quoted experts in Canadian news stories, despite being over half the population. Minority communities face an even more challenging pattern, where racialized voices often appear in stories about crime, immigration, or social issues rather than business, innovation, or leadership. These patterns can create the impression that certain groups are linked primarily to problems rather than achievements. While many Canadian journalists actively challenge these biases, the fact that these patterns still appear across major outlets such as the Toronto Star and CBC News suggests systemic habits that are slow to change.

Television and film offer a slightly more hopeful picture, especially with Canada’s recent push toward diversity in screen-based industries. Many Canadian series like “Kim’s Convenience” and “Sort Of” showcase minority characters in complex, authentic roles that move far beyond stereotypes. “Kim’s Convenience” in particular helped shift how Asian Canadian families are understood in mainstream culture by presenting them as humorous, flawed, and fully human rather than exotic or foreign. Similarly, “Sort Of,” which features a non-binary South Asian lead, reflects how Canadian entertainment often pushes boundaries in terms of LGBTQ+ and racial representation. However, this progress exists alongside persistent gaps: women, especially Black and Indigenous women, remain severely underrepresented in leading film roles. Indigenous screen actors and creators have made strides through platforms like the ImagineNative Film Festival , but the Canadian film industry still struggles with equitable funding and visibility.

Social media, meanwhile, allows Canadian women and minorities to reclaim their own narratives outside the gatekeeping of traditional media. Influencers such as Indigenous creator @shinanova use platforms to celebrate cultural identity, reshape how Indigenous communities are seen, and educate Canadians about traditions like throat singing. Black Canadian creators have also used social media to address racism, beauty standards, and the lack of representation in mainstream fashion and entertainment. However, even on these platforms, discriminatory dynamics appear. Ranging from algorithmic bias to online harassment that disproportionately targets women, Muslim Canadians, Indigenous activists, and Black content creators. Social media becomes both a site of empowerment and a battleground where cultural tensions surface.

Advertising in Canada has undergone a noticeable shift, with many brands now emphasizing diversity and inclusion. For example, RBC’s “Youth Empowerment” campaign  and Tim Hortons’ multicultural family and newcomer stories  highlight an intentional effort to reflect Canada’s diverse population. These portrayals help normalize a wide range of identities in everyday Canadian life. Yet critics argue that some advertising still relies on tokenism showing diversity visually, without addressing deeper issues or involving minority creators in decision-making roles. As a result, representation may look inclusive on the surface but lacks substance behind the scenes.

The question of whether media portrayals in Canada demonstrate discrimination or empowerment cannot be answered with a simple yes or no , the reality is layered. Canada’s multicultural policies and political commitment to equity have encouraged more inclusive portrayals, yet these portrayals are shaped by the nation’s cultural debates. For example, Quebec’s media landscape is influenced by policies such as Bill 21, which restricts religious symbols for some public workers. This law affects how Muslim women, in particular, are portrayed in Quebec’s media, often framing them through political and religious tension rather than everyday identity. Indigenous representation is shaped by ongoing reconciliation efforts and the legacy of residential schools, which influences whether portrayals come across as respectful or stigmatizing.

Overall, the portrayal of women and minorities in Canadian media shows a country in transition. It is clear that progress has been made more diverse characters in film, more minority-led storytelling online, and more inclusive advertising campaigns. But broad patterns of underrepresentation, stereotyping, and political tension continue to shape the media environment. Empowerment and discrimination coexist, reflecting the ongoing struggle between Canada’s ideals of multiculturalism and the deeper biases that still shape its institutions. Media, at its best, can be a tool for visibility, dignity, and cultural pride—yet the work of truly inclusive representation remains unfinished

This was written with the help of AI