ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the intersections of gender and age with a particular focus on older Canadian women and the challenges they face as providers and recipients of care. It focuses on women because of their gendered role in providing care and the specific challenges they share in negotiating care. The chapter draws on intersectionality to explore the diversity within these experiences, with attention to the complex social construction of women's identities and place within the Canadian context. It chooses six variables to frame our discussion: education, labor force participation, income, immigration, marital status, and living arrangements. Disputes about the existence of a healthy immigrant effect increasingly have explored the intersectionality and social determinants of immigrant health, in order to shed light on its complex time path. Understanding normative pressures around care and the diversity of older women's experiences of health and health care requires us to engage with ongoing discussions about the differences between, and meanings of, sex and gender.
