home what'snew resources ask amy news activism antiviolence events marketplace aboutus
Ask a Question!
Meet Amy!
Amy's Resource Guide
Ask Amy Main
TOPICS
Feminism
Girls/Children
Health
International
Media
Miscellaneous
Most Asked Questions
Politics
Reproductive Rights
Sexual Harassment
Violence Against Women
Women's History
Work/Career
   
 
 
Work/ Career

Can you please make these subjects clear for me:

1. What do you mean by "Equality in Workplace"?
2. How is that equality possible?
3. What changes can we make in our businesses?
4. How would you want equality in workplace?
5. Are you talking about pay, benefits, or etc.?
6. Why do you think there isn't no equality in workplace?

Please reply as fast as possible, Thanks, Pooya


Thanks for your note to FEMINIST.COM. What great questions, and here's my attempt to answer them:

1. What do you mean by "Equality in Workplace"?
This means that women and men will be treated the same in the workplace. This includes--same salaries for the same positions. This includes equal numbers of men and women at every level. Now you have men concentrated in the higher positions and women in the lower. This includes valuing women's approach to work, which tends to be different then men's (i.e. non-hierarchical--though this is a generalization). This includes eliminating all forms of discrimination--weight, race, age, gender, etc...

2. How is that equality possible?
By changing the value we place on work. For instace, those professions that are 90% female (child care, waitressing, seamstress, etc...) are under-valued professions. Professions which are 90% male (garbage collecting, door men, etc..) are more valued and include better financial rewards. Let's change the value we place on these. Why do nurses make so much more than doctors? Aren't each necessary?

Also, we can't value work on salary alone, we have to look at services being provided and what would the world look like if we didn't have those services? If we think of it that way, I bet we'd be quick to value qualities such as cleaning, caretaking, etc....

3. What changes can we make in our businesses?
We can do much of the above. We can also, enforce more flexible hours (i.e. flex time); encourage more vacations (look at our European example) - we can value quality not only quantity.

4. How would you want equality in workplace?
See #1 above.

5. Are you talking about pay, benefits, or etc.?
Yes, all of these.

6. Why do you think there isn't no equality in workplace? I think there is little equality in the workplace because it is focused around salaries and around hierarchy. (For the former, how about salary caps, requirements to give back, etc....) Yet, if you look at studies that profile working couples, both men and women would prefer to not have the pressure to "climb" but rather plateau. I also think that for too long, men's value in the world has revolved around being the breadwinner. Because men fear loosing their value and their identity, they resist changing the current structure.


Amy

home | what's new | resources | ask amy | news | activism | anti-violence
events | marketplace | about us | e-mail us | join our mailing list

©1995-2002 Feminist.com All rights reserved.