The Pink Book: First comes work, then comes pay equity for women
The Liberal Party Women's Caucus has released the Pink Book. In it, it makes an interesting point about pay equity.
To me, though, if you are going to advance the cause of women's rights in the workplace by providing equal pay for work of equal value, you first need to find a woman to do the work.
While there has been progress in the area of pay equity, Statistics Canada reports that "the gap between the earnings of women and men has not changed substantially in the past decade… In 2003, women working full-time, full-year had average earnings of $36,500 or 71 per cent what men employed full-time, full-year made that year." (Women in Canada 2006, 5th edition, Statistics Canada) This same report points out that women, regardless of their educational achievements, continue to have earnings well below those of their male counterparts.
Given that the Conservatives have been in power only since February, it seems like the problem of earnings for women not having chnaged for so long is entirely a question for the Liberal Party to decide.
But here's the problem. If you want to provide women equal pay for work of equal value, first you have to give a woman the job. From the documentation properties page for the Pink Book:
Author Mike Nash? What's wrong? Couldn't find a woman in the Liberal Party support staff who knew how to generate an Adobe document?
We look forward to the feedback and ideas from concerned citizens across Canada. We can be reached via the Liberal Women's Caucus directory included in this book or via email at info@pinkbook.ca.
If you are a woman, and you know Adobe, send in your resume to info@pinkbook.ca and let them know that the technology sector continues to be one of the most signicantly male-dominated sector in Canadian industry. If they'd make an effort to find a few women who can actually do the work of creating a polished Abobe document, and maybe they'll be taken more seriously.
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Comments
This could be an artefact caused by generating their documents on a network. If I don't change the author on 'word' files at work they pop up as being authored by 'ehelpdsk'. Which can be a bit embarrassing...
Posted by: Iron Oxide at November 28, 2006 08:59 AM
You might want to ask yourself... what kind of jobs is Judy Sgro talking about?
This is the same woman who was hip-deep in the dodgy business of sneaking foreign strippers under the Canadian immigration radar.
OTTAWA -- Immigration Minister Judy Sgro is defending the government's policy of admitting foreign exotic dancers to work in Canada, saying the strip club business is "a strong industry" with "lots of customers."
If the Liberal women's caucus thinks lap dancing is an 'strong industry' that provides 'great job opportunities' to our daughters... they really need to visit 'sniffers row' at the local strip club.
Posted by: neo at November 28, 2006 09:32 AM
These people are missing a major point, too.
How many women *want* these jobs in the first place?
How many women would *prefer* to stay home for their childrens' early years rather than use daycare?
How many women, when forced to leave the home for a job, go out of their way to choose jobs that allow them flexibility, often forsaking great pay?
As a family, we chose for me to stay home with the kids. They're older now, but we also chose to home school, so I'm still at home. After 10 years at home, our situation changed and I did work outside the home for a while. I got the same starting wage as anyone else who had the same job, and I certainly didn't find any lack of opportunites, even when living in a job-poor community.
I have no desire to climb the corporate ladder. Thankfully, my husband has a job that allows us to do this. I appreciate this beyond words. He'd much rather be home with the kids, too, but with his training and aptitudes, he can command the higher wages. I don't have his skills and, to be honest, I don't want them. My skills run in different directions.
There are more important things than money or jobs. Families who choose to have a parent at home make great economical sacrifices to do so. You can't put a price on that. The most rewarding part of all is we have daughters who not only believe they can go into any career they choose, but also have their priorities straight, and understand that it's people that are important, not money, jobs and titles. That's something Stronach and Sgro don't seem to understand.
Posted by: Kunoichi at November 28, 2006 01:44 PM
There are competent women who can do the work but I suspect they are out running their own businesses. Would they want to work for this crowd? Like they could try to hire Kate of SDA but we doubt she would do it - even for free dog food for life.
Posted by: Ww at November 28, 2006 05:57 PM
All you beautiful ladies out there don't have to worry. Soon, it will be wear the burka, or get a good beating. Now, get that house clean!
Posted by: Leatherneck at November 28, 2006 07:48 PM
Leatherneck
You forgot about the stoning for adultery, a friendly gang rape for looking at a man, hanging and/or severe whipping/beating for having the audacity to suggest that a woman needs an education, and on, and on......
These silver spoon fed r-tards are real pieces of work. The fact that they focus on everything but the woman who need help is very telling about their own narcissism.
Posted by: missing link at November 28, 2006 08:04 PM
 
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