They Did It
Jan 12, 2010
career, children, compensation, majority
A recent issue of The Economist magazine highlighted the fact that, within the next few months, women will cross the 50 percent threshold and become the majority of the American workforce.
As the magazine argues, “women’s economic empowerment is arguably the biggest social change of our times.” Barely a generation ago, women were mostly confined to repetitive and menial jobs. Today they are running some of the very organizations that treated them as second-class citizens not all that many years ago.
Somewhat surprisingly, this revolution has come with little in the way of friction. Men have, for the most part, welcomed the increasing numbers of women in the workplace. However, this development does come with a few drawbacks. First, women are still vastly underrepresented at the upper echelons of companies. Only about two percent of the leaders of America’s largest companies are women. They are also paid significantly less on average than their male counterparts in similar positions.
Secondly, juggling a career and raising children is a very difficult endeavour. Middle-class families often complain of the dearth of time they have to spend with their children. And poor children are even worse off. Countries like America and Britain have high levels of female participation in the workforce combined with the lack of publically-subsidized child care systems.
The problems are related. Many women feel that they ultimately have to choose between their children and their careers. Those who prosper in the corporate world during their 20s drop out in large numbers in their 30s to raise children. They then find it almost impossible to regain that career momentum when they reenter the labour force. But it’s motherhood – and not sexism – that is the issue. In the US, women without children earn almost as much as men, but mothers earn significantly less.
Some progressive companies are making the workplace environment more flexible so that they can attract talented women to work for them Many firms are reconsidering their promotion policies and procedures because they are losing so much female talent. The vast majority of companies in Germany and Sweden allow for flexible working, and new technology is making it easier to redesign work in more family-friendly ways. Only by becoming more flexible and innovative will companies be able to accommodate and integrate this essential segment of their workforce into the future.
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HERE ARE THE FACTS FOR CANADA: Women in Canada 2005, the latest edition of Statistics Canada 's seminal series of reports on gender trends in Canada, which was released in March, 2006 shows that the entry of large numbers of women into the paid workforce has been one of the dominant social trends in Canada over the last half century. The report attempts to complement the Women in Canada series, which is published only every five years, (next publication should be this year) by providing updated information on women's participation in the labour market. The past several decades have witnessed dramatic growth in the share of women who are part of the paid workforce. In 2006, 58% of all women aged 15 and over had jobs, up from 42% in 1976. In contrast, the proportion of men who were employed in 2006 (68%) was well below the figure recorded in 1976 (73%). As a result of these trends, women accounted for 47% of the employed workforce in 2006, up from 37% in 1976. See the complete report/details at www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89f0133x/89f0133x2006000-eng.htm#2 CTV.ca News Staff Monday Sep. 3, 2007 For the first time in Canada's labour history, more women than men are joining unions, according to a recent Statistics Canada Labour Force survey. Between January and June, 2007, the survey found 2,248,000 women were represented by unions while only 2,237,200 men were represented. "With the current attacks on equality under the Harper government, unions have become all the more relevant for women with the work we do around human rights and equality," said Julie White, CAW Director of Women's Programs, in a prepared statement. The numbers also reflect the presence of unions in typically-female industries such as retail, health care and hospitality. The CAW has fought for the funding of a woman's advocate role in many workplaces and has trained women for the position. "Increasingly women see unions as more than just better wages and benefits," said White. "Women see unions at the forefront of fighting for issues like child care and an end to violence against women."
D - 2010-01-13 21:46
It's interesting, when I read the last blog posted about CEO compensation I remember thinking that the list of the 100 highest paid CEOs in Canada is still dominated by men. It's true, as D points out in the previous comment, that unions are more important to women than ever before. It's also critical that Canada adopt more flexible arrangements for women who must leave and return to the workforce due to maternity leave.
Jeff - 2010-01-14 15:49