From a section of my book on the sexualization of women in media that discusses Canadian legislation

The Canadian government often makes amendments to the Criminal Code, and from time to time Revised Statutes of Canada (RSC) are published. These are not annual volumes. The earliest versions of the Criminal Code make for interesting reading (especially for women). For instance, in the first version (1892) punishment for the indecent assault of a male was seven years’ imprisonment (under sect. 260), which was amended the following year to ten years’ imprisonment.[1] The punishment for the indecent assault of a female was two years’ imprisonment (sect. 259).[2] No amendments were made to this section until 1906—and the penalty remained two years. In the 1970 version of the Criminal Code the indecent assault of a male was still punishable by ten years’ imprisonment. For indecent assaults on females the penalty inched up to five years in 1953. This is but one example of the higher value placed on males—and therefore their greater protection—enshrined in Canadian law.

[1] The criminal code, 1892, 55-56 Victoria, Ottawa, Government of Canada, p. 100-101

[2] The criminal code, 1892, 55-56 Victoria, Ottawa, Government of Canada, p. 100


​© 2016 Alline Cormier