Concluding Opinion
Has the social problem been resolved in an acceptable fashion? Explain why or why not.
The debate of whether women have gained equal economic rights in Canada is incredibly controversial. On one hand, when looking at the vast improvements now-a-day compared to the turn of the 20th century, many could say women have gain equality. In almost every situation, women can work in the position of their choosing, as well as their husband not being viewed as a failure if the wife is working. These are all amazing improvements, however, in my opinion I do not find the social issue to be resolved. There is still a very notable gender wage gap between men and women, with women earning 72% as much as men make, and when that percentage is translated into numbers you see a difference of roughly $16,000, which is a huge difference in wage.29
As well, we currently have huge occupational segregation for men and women. According to Statistics Canada, almost 80% of women have careers in only 6 of the 14 Employment Equity Occupational Groups (EEOGs). These 6 were: Professionals, Semi-Professionals and Technicians, Administrative and Senior Clerical Personnel, Clerical Personnel, Intermediate Sales and Service Personnel and Other Sales and Service Personnel. However, these occupations formed only 44% of the men's workforce, who dominated occupations such as Skilled Crafts and Trades Workers, Semi-Skilled Manual Workers, Supervisors: Crafts and Trades, Senior Managers and Middle and Other Managers. 30
How can a similar social problem be prevented from occurring in the future? Supply specific suggestions.
In my honest opinion, all though it is present, discrimination against women in the workplace isn’t the main problem we should try to solve. Rather, it is that women tend to choose to have different lifestyles than men, for a number of reason. One of these reasons is because they are viewed as caregivers, and “must raise a family”. If women plan to take time off to raise children, then they’ll make different choices about the skills they’ll learn throughout there life, and especially in their career. Also if they take time off to take care of children, that time for an equal-in-value man would allow him to continue to gain skills and knowledge (which translates into more promotions, and more money).
A second reason for women choosing different lifestyles is that women tend to pick different career paths then men do. Women tend to go towards social sciences, phycology, humanities etc. 31 while men lean towards careers such as engineering, science, businesses etc. In a study from the University of Michigan, it was found that women tend to shy away from maths and sciences because they find it a solitary, rather than a social, occupation. The study also found that the main reason for the segregation in these is from parents. Parents can give ideas to daughters that put down both their confidence in their math and science abilities and their interest having these careers. As well, although girls got better grades in these subjects, parents with girls said that their kids had to work harder and the subject was more difficult than parents with sons. Also parents with boys said talent was of equal importance as effort, while parents of girls said hard work was much more important than math talent 32. In my opinion, we must equalize the role of the care giver, as well and which professions women decide to go into, as well as illuminating the stereotypes related to this issues in order to achieve economic equality in the workplace.
The debate of whether women have gained equal economic rights in Canada is incredibly controversial. On one hand, when looking at the vast improvements now-a-day compared to the turn of the 20th century, many could say women have gain equality. In almost every situation, women can work in the position of their choosing, as well as their husband not being viewed as a failure if the wife is working. These are all amazing improvements, however, in my opinion I do not find the social issue to be resolved. There is still a very notable gender wage gap between men and women, with women earning 72% as much as men make, and when that percentage is translated into numbers you see a difference of roughly $16,000, which is a huge difference in wage.29
As well, we currently have huge occupational segregation for men and women. According to Statistics Canada, almost 80% of women have careers in only 6 of the 14 Employment Equity Occupational Groups (EEOGs). These 6 were: Professionals, Semi-Professionals and Technicians, Administrative and Senior Clerical Personnel, Clerical Personnel, Intermediate Sales and Service Personnel and Other Sales and Service Personnel. However, these occupations formed only 44% of the men's workforce, who dominated occupations such as Skilled Crafts and Trades Workers, Semi-Skilled Manual Workers, Supervisors: Crafts and Trades, Senior Managers and Middle and Other Managers. 30
How can a similar social problem be prevented from occurring in the future? Supply specific suggestions.
In my honest opinion, all though it is present, discrimination against women in the workplace isn’t the main problem we should try to solve. Rather, it is that women tend to choose to have different lifestyles than men, for a number of reason. One of these reasons is because they are viewed as caregivers, and “must raise a family”. If women plan to take time off to raise children, then they’ll make different choices about the skills they’ll learn throughout there life, and especially in their career. Also if they take time off to take care of children, that time for an equal-in-value man would allow him to continue to gain skills and knowledge (which translates into more promotions, and more money).
A second reason for women choosing different lifestyles is that women tend to pick different career paths then men do. Women tend to go towards social sciences, phycology, humanities etc. 31 while men lean towards careers such as engineering, science, businesses etc. In a study from the University of Michigan, it was found that women tend to shy away from maths and sciences because they find it a solitary, rather than a social, occupation. The study also found that the main reason for the segregation in these is from parents. Parents can give ideas to daughters that put down both their confidence in their math and science abilities and their interest having these careers. As well, although girls got better grades in these subjects, parents with girls said that their kids had to work harder and the subject was more difficult than parents with sons. Also parents with boys said talent was of equal importance as effort, while parents of girls said hard work was much more important than math talent 32. In my opinion, we must equalize the role of the care giver, as well and which professions women decide to go into, as well as illuminating the stereotypes related to this issues in order to achieve economic equality in the workplace.