The Battle for Pay Equity and Empowerment

The United Nations General Assembly created the International Equal Pay Day in 2019 to be marked annually on September 18. The UN says the action "further builds on the United Nations' commitment to human rights and against all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women and girls."

Across the imperialist world, wages for employed women are 20 per cent less than employed men. The UN estimates that at the current rate of change towards pay equity it will take 257 years to close the gender gap. This discrimination is compounded with the concentration of women workers in the service sector and irregular work where pay is generally lower for all workers.

Discrimination against women is made worse with the refusal of the ruling elite to increase funding for social programs. The lack of investment to improve and extend social services to all areas of life hurts women in particular. It denies women and girls educational opportunities and time away from traditional household duties to engage in socialized employment and other activities outside the home.

Also, socializing household chores such as cooking, cleaning and early child care would allow women to diversify and improve their capacity to work and its value, to unite and participate with fellow workers in the struggle for higher wages and better benefits and working conditions, and to engage in politics and other social affairs in the battle for a modern cultured life, empowerment, democratic renewal and a new pro-social direction for the economy.

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This article was published in

Volume 52 Number 18 - September 26, 2022

Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmld2022/Articles/D520183.HTM

Website:  www.cpcml.ca   Email:  editor@cpcml.ca