Gender Inequality in the Workforce

• Women have made significant gains in the workforce, but inequality persists in the form of wage gaps, job discrimination, and challenges in balancing work and family.

Reasons for Gender Inequality

• The gender pay gap is a major factor: women earn $0.74 to $0.88 for every dollar men earn.
• Contributing factors include career interruptions for family, occupational exclusion, and discrimination.
• Women are more likely to work in lower-paying service jobs, while men dominate higher-paying industries like manufacturing, technology, and engineering.
• The decline of well-paid manufacturing jobs has increased male entry into traditionally female fields like childcare and healthcare, but these jobs offer lower wages and less stability, affecting both men and women.
• Career interruptions, particularly for raising children or caring for relatives, impact promotions, seniority, and long-term earnings for women.
• Women may need to start over in lower positions after returning to work, contributing to the wage gap.

Impact of Movements

• Movements like Canada’s National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC), since 1992, have highlighted issues like income inequality.
• NAC advocated for changes, reporting that family incomes were dropping and people needed longer hours to support families, raising awareness for policies supporting working women.
• The Living Wage Movement calculates how much a family needs to cover basic living expenses.
• In Vancouver in 2018, the living wage was $20.91 per hour, higher than the minimum wage, and this movement pushes for fair wages, especially for women in low-wage or part-time jobs.
• Feminist scholars discuss the "feminization" of the workforce, where full-time jobs are replaced by part-time positions, affecting women more.
• Research indicates that fewer women are in manufacturing jobs, while men are not moving into female-dominated fields, which can guide policies aimed at closing the gender wage gap.

Necessary Changes for Equality

• Closing the wage gap is essential, and employers must commit to pay transparency to ensure equal pay for equal work.
• Governments should enforce stronger pay equity laws and penalize non-compliant companies.
• Affordable and accessible childcare is crucial because the lack of childcare options causes women to leave the workforce.
• Workplace flexibility, such as remote work or flexible hours, helps both men and women balance work and family.
• Increasing women's representation in leadership roles is necessary, and mentorship programs, leadership training, and anti-discrimination policies are important.
• Changes in cultural and social attitudes about gender roles are needed, including a more equal division of household responsibilities and gender-neutral career choices from an early age.

Conclusion

• Despite progress, women continue to earn less, face job segregation, and experience setbacks due to family.
• Closing the wage gap, providing childcare, workplace flexibility, and changing attitudes are necessary for workplace equality.
• Until these steps are taken, women will continue to encounter barriers in their professional lives.