Equal Opportunity and Gender Disadvantage

1994 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley A. Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Equality Of Opportunity ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Pay Equity ◽  
Employment Equity ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Ideal

Recently, in Canada both the Federal Government and various provincial governments have introduced a series of measures intended to address gender inequalities in the workplace. These measures are of two basic types. Employment equity policies involve the implementation of affirmative action programmes designed to encourage the hiring and promotion of more women in, for example, the civil service. Pay equity policies have sought to institutionalize the principle of equal pay for work of equal value or, to use the American terminology, comparable worth. The aim of this paper is to resurrect the presently out of fashion view that the principles of affirmative action and comparative worth that underlie employment equity and pay equity can be defended on the grounds that they contribute to the realization of an ideal of equality of opportunity between men and women in Canadian society. This view, although once prevalent among those concerned with gender issues, has been pushed aside, largely because of doubts about the visionary depth of the ideal of equality of opportunity. It has been replaced instead by an ideal of equality of results which emphasizes the goal of reducing the gender wage gap. It is my intention here to formulate a principle of equality of opportunity that can incorporate recent feminist legal and political philosophy in a way that offers a promising way to analyze issues posed by gender inequalities in the workplace and, as a result, provide a clear rationale for the recent employment equity and pay equity initiatives in Canada.

Equal Rights and Unequal People

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard D. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Equal Treatment ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Criminal Trials ◽  
The Law ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Ideal

Though Americans have favored the idea of equal rights and equal opportunity, they recognize that differences in wealth and social advantage, like differences in ability and appearance, influence the realization, or not, of equal rights, including equality before the law. In the generations after 1776 the rights of creditors, for example, often overrode the rights of debtors. And criminal trials demonstrate that in courtrooms equal treatment was most often achieved when defendant and victim came from the same social class. Otherwise if they came from different classes social realities, including ethnicity, color, and gender could shape court officials and public opinion. And when a woman’s sexual virtue was compromised, her credibility was almost always discounted. In principle officials paid homage to the ideal of equality before the law, but in practice unequal rights often prevailed.

The Evolution of the Role of Women in Labor Markets in Developed Economies

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Elisabeth T. Pereira ◽  
Stefano Salaris
Keyword(s):  
Labor Markets ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
And Gender

The role of women in labor markets has been characterized by great changes in the last century, with gender inequalities decreasing in most developed countries. The stereotypes related to women in labor markets have been hard to break within social norms and cultures. Many efforts have been made in recent decades by governments and national and international institutions to decrease and promote women's empowerment and gender equality in labor markets. This chapter has as its main purposes to provide an overview of the evolution of the role of women in labor markets in developed countries and to investigate this evolution based on a set of variables: gender participation rates, education, employment, the gender gap in management, wages and the gender wage gap, and public policies and laws. However, despite the positive evolution of the participation rate of women in labor markets that has been observed in recent decades, gender inequalities still persist.

A Feminist View of Equality and Its Implications for Affirmative Action

1994 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Koggel
Keyword(s):  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Equality Of Opportunity ◽  
The Self ◽  
Fair Competition ◽  
Substantive Equality ◽  
Self Development ◽  
Individual Self ◽  
The Ideal

Affirmative action generates so much controversy that very often proponents and opponents both fail to understand the other’s position. A recent work by Michel Rosenfeld convincingly argues that the incommensurability of the opposing sides is based on fundamental disagreements about the meaning of such concepts as equality and justice: “the affirmative action debate is not between persons who are ‘pro-equality’ and others who are ‘anti-equality’. Both the most ardent advocates of affirmative action and its most vehement foes loudly proclaim their allegiance to the ideal of equality.” Within a liberal framework, two conceptions of equality are commonly defended—formal and substantive equality of opportunity. Both conceptions assume background conditions of the scarcity of goods, a need to compete for educational, social and economic benefits, and the value of rewards for fair competition as a means to individual self-development and self-realization. In the first section, I outline each conception briefly, summarize the sorts of affirmative action each defends, and show that the irreconcilability of the opposing sides is ultimately grounded in different conceptions of the self. I then go on to argue that both conceptions limit our understanding of selves and ultimately constrain attempts to achieve equality in a context in which individuals are also members of groups with identities formed in historical contexts of discrimination.

Getting a Handle on Pay Equity

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 201-202
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Flannery ◽  
Thomas D. McMullen
Keyword(s):  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Pay Equity ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
Equal Work

Pay equity is one of the most increasingly complex, sensitive and visible people issues facing organizations today. Understanding how to diagnose, quantify and address pay gaps, as defined by equal pay for equal work, has never been more important or more challenging. Today’s business, regulatory, political, and social climates are combining to place unprecedented levels of scrutiny on what organizations are doing—or not doing—to ensure they are fostering an inclusive environment in which all employees have equal opportunity to thrive and develop.

scholarly journals Reviewing the suitability of affirmative action and the inherent requirements of the job as grounds of justification to equal pay claims in terms of the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 1-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamier Ebrahim
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
South African ◽  
International Labour Organisation ◽  
Employment Equity ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Labour Organisation

The purpose of this article is to analyse the grounds of justification to pay discrimination as contained in South African law, the Conventions and Materials of the International Labour Organisation and the equal pay laws of the United Kingdom. Lastly, an analysis will be undertaken to determine whether affirmative action and the inherent requirements of the job provide justifications proper to equal pay claims. 

Wage-setting and gender pay equality in Australia: Advances, retreats and future prospects

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-559
Author(s):  
Meg Smith ◽  
Gillian Whitehouse
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Main Principle ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Wage Setting ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Wage Disparities ◽  
Structural Inequalities

This article re-examines the main principle applied in the pursuit of gender equality in Australian wage-setting systems (equal remuneration for work of equal value) through the lens of a typology of contrasting approaches to gender (and overall) wage equality. It focuses on landmark legislative initiatives and cases over four epochs in Australian wage-setting history, from the first national equal pay case in 1969 to current provisions under the Fair Work Act. Our analysis indicates that there is no guarantee of a progressive trajectory, from narrowly conceived strategies that limit comparisons to the same work, through the revaluation of female-dominated work, to a more comprehensive approach capable of redressing systemic disadvantage. Rather, the Australian pattern has been one of advances, retreats and constantly changing barriers. We argue that although the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value has potential to challenge the reproduction of gender inequalities within wage-setting systems, this is highly contingent on the strategies in place and ultimately requires recognition that wage disparities reflect the accumulation of structural inequalities and gendered practices.

scholarly journals Pay Equity and Equal Employment Opportunity: Policy, Rhetoric and Reality in the 2004 New Zealand Labour Market

1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prue Hyman
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Pay Equity ◽  
Select Committee ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
Pacific People ◽  
The Public ◽  
Equal Employment ◽  
The Government

Pay equity (here interpreted as equal pay for work of equal value) has long been official Labour Party policy, although never properly implemented. The recent Taskforce on Pay and Employment Equity in the Public Service, Public Education and Public Health proposes advances in those sectors. At the same time, Part Two of the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill a First Reading Stage would have repealed the only possible, if disputed, legislative underpinning for equal pay for work of equal value in the public and private sectors. After submissions and lobbying, the government sensibly agreed to the Select Committee recommendation to withdraw this from the Bill. The HRC report "Framework for the Future: Equal Employment Opportunities in New Zealand" finds little progress in the employment position of people with disabilities, while the status of Pacific people in the New Zealand labour force is even worse than that of Maori- nor has gender equality yet been achieved. It argues that a lack of equal opportunity creates social tension while New Zealand is being held hack economically through talent being under-utilised. This paper will discuss these reports and developments, government policy and the realities in these areas in 2004 New Zealand.

Gender equality officers: which activities can we do to improve gender equality in STEM? Examples from MARUM women’s representatives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Lefebvre ◽  
Vera B. Bender ◽  
Luzie Schnieders
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Higher Education Act ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Education Act ◽  
And Gender

<p>Many institutes have equal opportunity or gender equality officers. They are usually responsible to ensure that equal opportunity and gender equality laws are applied at their institute but also offer local support. The actions from these officers might greatly help to improve equal opportunities and gender equality.</p><p>At MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany, a collective of three women was elected in January 2019 as decentralised women’s representatives. Our overarching goal is to advice and support all scientists and students at MARUM, as well as the director and committees, in the implementation of the legally-fixed gender equality duty (<em>Bremisches Hochschulgesetz</em> / Higher Education Act of the State of Bremen). As such, we have implemented several actions to promote gender equality at MARUM.</p><p>With the present contribution, we would like to present the activities with which we have been engaged and discuss how successful they were, in order to help other gender equality officers in their role. We also hope to hear about other successful actions that have been implemented in order to broaden our actions. Generally, we would like to discuss ideas of useful future actions and exchange with colleagues in this field. A long-term goal is to create a repository of actions which can be taken by equal opportunity and gender equality officers.</p><p>Our actions were implemented at a range of levels: directly with the women from MARUM (e.g. network meetings, support in case of conflict, pregnancy checklist), sensibilisation (e.g. invited talk on gendered wording in job advertisement, workshop on writing letters of recommendation, screening of “Picture a Scientist”), institutional (e.g. bi-annual meeting with director, meetings with the other gender equality actors at the university), monitoring (e.g. analysis of the gender of job applicants and selected candidates).</p><p>Most actions are very beneficial and well received. We feel it is profitable to act at these different levels, to provide support directly to the women, but also to inform a wide range of actors on gender inequalities. The resources we have at MARUM allows a funding of some activities, which is particularly useful. Because we are scientists ourselves, we have a good and productive exchange with the other women on a peer level. We are greatly encouraged and supported by the fact that people in leadership positions take us seriously and carefully listen to our opinion and feedback. A difficulty which we encounter is that, although the position of women’s representative is officially recognised by the law, we are not given specific time for it. Therefore, the work that we do as gender equality officer is done in addition to our scientific work.</p>

scholarly journals Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value in Ontario and Great Britain: A Comparison

1969 ◽  
pp. 926
Author(s):  
Ellen E. Hodgson
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Pay Equity ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
Central Concern ◽  
Proper Definition ◽  
Definition Of

Hodgson's article is a thorough discussion of the concept of Pay Equity. She begins by providing a proper definition of the term Pay Equity and then goes on to explore the relevant legislation and case law regarding the matter. In order to analyze Pay Equity fully, Hodgson compares the Ontario experience with that of Great Britain. The central concern of the paper is not to debate the appropriateness of Pay Equity legislation but, rather, to determine whether the courts have responded to the legislation in such a manner as to be able to describe it as being a success. Within her work, Hodgson exposes the reality that Pay Equity legislation in both jurisdictions is complex and costly; however, despite this, the wage gap between the sexes is diminishing.

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