Gender and Population

Gender roles in the Inuit society are based on the situation and can often be reversed. For example, if there was a family with no sons, the father would still teach one of his daughters how to hunt. This means that there is no definite gender identity, it was all adaptive and highly flexible. Children before puberty are associated and put into groups of socialization according to the gender of the person that held their last ancestral name. After puberty, they perform duties and roles of their biological sex. But these roles and duties could often be altered due to factors such as deaths in the family or disabilities. 

In the 1950s, issues began rising that caused much domestic violence. Many male activities came to a halt and were not able to be performed due to the enforcement of permanent settlement. Women adapted very well to household lives and were able to earn more social power. The imbalance of status of Inuit men and women caused problems such as domestic violence. Violent domestic assaults have been increasing over the years. Women and children are the main victims and shelters for the abused have increased by 54%.

Some factors that contribute to such crimes include:

-forced settlement; men can't hunt

-economic stress and dependency

-poor communication

-men's belief that they have lost their dominance/ power

Inuits live in the lands of Alaska, Greenland, Canada and Siberia. Their population is about 100,000 and the greatest population of them is in Greenland. There is about 45,000 Inuits that inhabit there. Denmark has passed policies to help protect these tribes from further exploitation from the industrial world. 

Morgan, Clara. "The Arctic: Gender Issues." The Arctic: Gender Issues. Parliament of Canada, 24 Oct. 2008. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

"Common Menu Bar Links." Aboriginal Peoples in Canada in 2006: Inuit, Métis and First Nations, 2006 Census: Inuit: Inuit Population: Young and Growing. Statistics Canada, 05 Apr. 2011. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.