Women’s History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the advances of women in the workforce while still acknowledging the inequalities that continue to exist at home and around the world.
Prior to World War 1, women typically did not work outside the home, and if they did, it was primarily in textile industries and low paying jobs. They were kept out of heavy industries and positions that involved real responsibilities.
The effort to keep women out of positions of power can best be demonstrated in the 1922 government decision that women were not considered “persons” according to the British North American (BNA) Act, and therefore, could not hold public office. When five women famously challenged this interpretation of the BNA, the Supreme Court of Canada debated five weeks before upholding their decision. Women were finally declared “persons” when the decision was overturned in 1929. This decision paved the way for women to hold public office.
The war years were important for advancing women in the workplace. Millions of women entered the workforce to fill civilian and military jobs vacated by men. Women demonstrated they were capable and willing to hold positions that were only viewed suitable for men. After World War 2, there was a huge push to get women out of male jobs and back into traditional female roles, or better, yet, the home. Women rebelled and the consequence was the feminist movement in the 60’s.
The 60’s resulted in significant changes for women. Aboriginal women could vote in federal elections, married women could be jurors could also open their own bank accounts without their husband’s signature. The criminal code was amended to allow the dissemination of information about contraceptives, and sex between consenting adults of the same sex was decriminalized.
Despite the strides made in the 60’s, in 1975, women still earned 60 cents on the dollar compared to men. The Canadian Human Rights Act passed a law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex and legislated equal pay for equal work. The Act was amended in 1983 to prohibit sexual harassment and to ban discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and family or marital status.
In 1978, the labor code was amended to no longer allow employers to fire or lay women off because of pregnancy. In the same year, airline stewardesses earned the right to continue working after marriage and after the age of 32.
Today, more Canadian women than men have a college degree. Just over a third of Canadian women (35%) have a university level of education compared to 29% of men. However, only 7% of Canadian women obtain post-secondary education in male-dominated trades such as energy, construction, and agriculture, compared with 14% of men. Today, Canadian women represent 47.4 percent of the labor force, compared to 37% in 1976. This is an increase of over 25%.
While the wage gap is closing between men and women, women earn an average of $4.13 less per hour than men. The gap is caused primarily by the higher concentration of men in higher-paying sectors, and the number of women working part time. Women are twice as likely to work part-time than men. Women listed childcare as the main reason for working part time.
Women also continue to shoulder caregiving responsibilities in much higher numbers than men, and are negatively impacted in the workforce as a result.
Women are overrepresented in the public sector, which is lower paying than the private sector. You will still find educated women disproportionately in female dominated, care-giving careers such as teachers, nurses, and social workers. Socialization of women, subtle biases, and gender stereotyping still exists and account for much of the discrepancies between men and women.
Although only 3.5% of Canadian companies have a woman CEO, women entrepreneurs have grown 30% in the past ten years. Women entrepreneurs are more likely to run business in the retail and service sector and do not make as much money as their male counterparts. Canadian women who do own businesses make 58% less than male entrepreneurs. Still, there is indications the gap is closing.
While it’s important to recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments that women have achieved over the past 100 years, it’s important to stay cognisant of the subtle forces that create discrepancies between the sexes, leaving women at a social and financial disadvantage.
Jenny DeReis, MC Psych, RCC
Walmsley EFAP
References
60 Years Catalyst: Workplaces that Work for Women