Women, Work and Equality

Paper Summary:

Although many things have changed for women in the last century, the full equality between the genders has not been achieved. This paper l argues that this is because women are still paid less then men for corresponding jobs, that they are underrepresented in certain professions and in more prestigious positions with power, and that they often do the 'second shift' of housework which is undervalued. The paper looks at how women still form the major part of part-time and temporary workforce, and women and men are occupationally segregated, with women concentrated in jobs stereotyped as "women's jobs" (nursing, clerical child care, retail). The paper also examines how women are poorly presented in science, computer science and engineering occupations, which are often very prestigious and well paid and how this job inequality is rooted in the broader social inequality, which separates boys and girls from an early age, and which still sharply defines male and female roles with the family and society at large.

From the Paper:

"One of the biggest indicators of the lack of equality between men and women is the fact that women are still paid less then men for corresponding jobs. Women earn about 30% less than men do in corresponding full time jobs (Nelson, 2006). The figures are similar according to Statistics Canada (2000) "Women generally have lower incomes than men. In 1997, the average annual pretax income for women aged 15 and over from all sources was $19,800, just 62% the figure for men". On the other hand, Davies et al (1996) show that the wage gaps are smaller among younger age groups, nevertheless, "Women earn between 62% and 65% of what men earn" (Wilson, 2005) and "the gender wage gap is widespread and exists in all occupational categories" (Nelson, 2006)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• BBC, "Wimbledon ups prize money" BBC Sport, 27. April 2004. Retrieved on 10.02.2007 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/3663607.stm
• Brym, R. J. New Society: Sociology for the 21st Century. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Canada, 1995
• Davies, R., Hancock, M., & Condon, A. Perspectives: Canadian Women in Computer Science. 2001. 08.Feb.2007 http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mhancock/papers/canadawomenincs.pdf
• Duffy, A. & Pupo, N. Part-time Paradox: Connecting Gender, Work, and Family. McClelland & Stewrad: 1992.
• Elder, S. & Johnson, L.J. "Sex-specific Labour Market Indicators: What they Show". International Labour Review 138 (4), 1999: 447 -459

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