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To mark International Women’s Day, this paper reached out to experts in business, health, politics and policy to ask for their ideas on how to make life better for women (and everybody else.) Here are the problems they cited, the ideas they offered and the arguments they made. Let us know yours.
The idea: Make universal childcare happen, finally
The argument: Childcare is the elephant in the room for Canadian families. For women, who disproportionately bear the brunt of childcare responsibilities, it is a super-sized elephant.
It has been nearly half a century since a national childcare program for Canada was first proposed — by the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. There have been several attempts by federal governments since then to introduce one.
One came close to reality under Paul Martin’s Liberals, but never got off the ground. Since then, starting with Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, childcare has been addressed through benefits — arriving in monthly cheques that some quip barely cover the cost of gas to daycare.
Childcare costs are soaring and access to high-quality daycare remains patchy, frustrating parents and straining their budgets.
Meanwhile, Quebec has introduced state-funded childcare that is affordable for all. The move has increased the participation of women in the workforce in Quebec. “In fact, it is the only province in which women’s economic participation has not stalemated,” says Sarah Kaplan, director of the Institute for Gender and the Economy and Distinguished Professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
Childcare, she says, needs to be thought of as an investment, not an expenditure.
The arguments in favour of universal, state-sponsored childcare include the benefits to families — who are forking over mortgage-sized payments for daycare — to companies, which benefit from less absenteeism and turnover related to childcare issues, and to the economy in general, from greater female participation in the economy and all that entails.
For women, universal childcare helps reduce work-related gender inequality, including the persistent wage gap, advocates say.
In photos: 41 ordinary, exceptional women from around the world
The idea: Give dads use-it-or-lose-it paternity leave
The argument: Encouraging more fathers to take time off work to care for their children benefits women, and families in general, in some very concrete ways. One of the biggest benefits? Reducing the gender pay gap.
Canadian women working full time earn 74 cents for every dollar earned by a man working full time, according to Statistics Canada.
Children are the primary driver of the gender wage gap, says Sarah Kaplan, Institute for Gender and the Economy and Distinguished Professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
“Because women are still these days expected to absorb most of the childcare and flexibility required for children, they often switch jobs or careers into more flexible situations or part-time work, or they leave the workforce altogether. The result is that they end up earning less than men.”
Some people call this a choice, she notes, “but it is a choice structured by a social context in which we expect women to do childcare and other home responsibilities.”
So what can be done?
Andrea Doucet, a sociologist at Brock University, says encouraging men to take paternity leave (parental leave for fathers) disrupts deeply rooted ideas about men and work. It also gives women a chance to focus on their own paid work, as men help shoulder the childcare load.
Sweden may have the solution.
In that country, each parent is entitled to take full-time leave from work until their child is 18 months old, whether or not they are using paid benefits.
Parents are eligible to 240 days each, and days may be transferred between them — although some days are reserved for each parent. Of these, 90 days are reserved for the mother, and are not transferable. Another 90 days are reserved for the father. The remaining days can be transferred between the parents. There is also an extra pension supplement for the parent who earns the least income during the child’s first four years. The way it is set up forces men to take their leave.
Paternity leaves make it possible for women to go back to work. It also “disrupts the culture” so men see themselves as caregivers. Swedish research further found that mothers’ incomes increased for every month of leave fathers took.
It’s a good thing for both men and women, says Doucet. It fosters better father-child relationships — and reduces the housework burden on women. While on paternity leave, men are more involved in childcare and housework and the effects are especially notable when men take paternity leave without their partner at home, Doucet says.
“Women have woven their lives around care responsibilities. I would argue that it creates a richer life. Some people argue that’s why women live longer,” Doucet says.
“Men start to see the list of tasks and start to take on some of those burdens. Men start to see what care is all about. Knowing what each child needs is an important part of care work. Men who get involved really get invested,” she says. “All of this helps women. It’s why Sweden set up parental leave the way they do.”
Kaplan argues that, in order to have an impact, the amount of paternity leave offered must be for an extended period — which is more than the five weeks that exists in Quebec and recently announced by the federal government. And, in order to incentivize fathers to take the time, it must be dedicated paternity leave.
The idea: Enforce turnover on corporate boards — and maybe even quotas
The argument: Canada lags behind many countries when it comes to gender balance on corporate boards. Among publicly traded companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange, just 14 per cent of board seats are held by women.
What difference would more women on boards make? Corporate boards — and executives — are a centre of power in society. More diversity, including women, people of racial, cultural and sexual diversity better represent society. Research suggests women would benefit from better representation on corporate boards, as would the businesses themselves.
Given that women make up 47 per cent of the work force, 60 per cent of university graduates and control over 70 per cent of purchases, their low representation on boards “feels like an imbalance of power at a leadership level,” says Tany van Biesen, executive director of Catalyst Canada, a non-profit organization that focuses on women’s progress in the workplace.
Research suggests companies with more female board directors perform better financially — including better stock performance and higher returns on equity. There is also a relationship between more women on corporate boards and improved corporate social responsibility, corporate giving and equity, research has found.
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But here’s a thought: The business case should not be the only reason for corporations to bring more women on to their boards of directors, said van Biesen. It’s not just the smart thing to do; it’s the right thing to do, she said.
In Europe, Norway, Iceland, France and Germany have all instituted quotas to insure 40 per cent of corporate board members are women. The U.K. has opted for “more of a nudge than a push,” said van Biesen, by requiring corporate boards have term limits, to ensure turnover, rather than instituting quotas.
The solution? The Canadian solution has focused on voluntary compliance and “comply or explain” rules — meaning corporations listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange are required to report annually on the number of women on their board and executive team, among other measures, including whether term limits or other board ‘renewal mechanisms” have been introduced. Progress has been slow, however.
Van Biesen said more companies need renewal mechanisms. She is hesitant, however, to recommend quotas, saying they can sometimes create a backlash and governments have little appetite to enforce them. If things don’t change, though, she said quotas should be considered.
Dr. Virginia Roth is the chief of staff at The Ottawa Hospital.
The idea: Have women involved in the hiring
The argument: Dr. Virginia Roth is the first female chief of staff at The Ottawa Hospital. She also has a strong interest in increasing the numbers of women in hospital leadership roles. “It’s about how to get the best minds around the table, regardless of gender,” she says.
To find out what was preventing women from seeking leadership roles, Roth and a group of co-researchers randomly selected a group of female physicians and held facilitated focus groups. They found that the women were not driven by titles or compensation as much as the ability to make a difference, and saw leadership as an opportunity to build relationships beyond their usual range as well as advocating on a higher scale.
Many women perceived the costs of leadership as being greater than the benefits. Some who had sought leadership roles in the past and failed to get those roles said they had vowed never to do it again. “There was the sense of getting the wind knocked out of you,” Roth says.
The solution? One way to attract interest in leadership is to ensure that women understand the how recruitment and selection work — that is, the “rules of the game” when it comes to getting chosen, says Roth. “Organizations have to make these transparent.”
That starts with taking an objective look at the selection committee, she says. The hospital instituted a bylaw requiring selection committees be reflective of the proportion of women in the group, or that there be a minimum of two women out of eight people on committee. “I have had women say how encouraging it was to see other women in the room. It’s a simple thing,” she says.
The hospital also introduced three strategic initiatives: offering flexible hours, the ability to take leaves of absence for whatever reason, and practical supports for situations, like emergency childcare. The hospital engaged a local firm that offers its services on short notice, even at night and during weekends. The firm does all the legwork and takes the stress out of an unexpected situation, Roth says.
The idea: Spaces that are dedicated to women
The argument: When the question of women and urban space comes up, it’s usually framed as asking how public spaces can be made safer for women, by designing open spaces or more brightly lit streets, for example.
But women’s safety is a social issue and not a design issue, says Cynthia Hammond, co-director of the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling at Concordia University.
“The problem, in essence, is that men attack women. Buildings and lighting do not attack women,” she says. “It’s still audacious to say that there should be spaces for women, and self-identified women, only. And I find that people still have a knee-jerk, negative reaction to that proposition.”
How it would work? Hammond says women need to close the door sometimes. She points to Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, which argues that a woman needs money and a space of her own in order to write. There are numerous historical examples of women-only spaces, and some existing spaces that are accessible to both men and women, but are dedicated to women’s experiences. One example is Montreal’s Le Centrale Galerie Powerhouse, a gallery that has been run by women and exhibited the works of feminist artists for over 40 years. Another is the Women’s Library in London, England, which has a collection of literature, letters and journals written by women, as well as a being home to the largest collection of suffrage memorabilia in the world.
The point with such institutions is not so much that they are designed for women exclusively, but that they prioritize women’s experiences and histories, Hammond says.
Women-only spaces are still necessary. And access to these spaces needs to be uncontested, says Hammond. It is not uncommon for controversy to erupt when women seek such a “safe space” of their own, she points out.
“Why is it threatening when women demand privacy? People still find it troubling when women want to be on their own or with other women only. But the reality is that society isn’t egalitarian, nor are our streets safe. Women need a break from that.”
Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice.
The idea: Let the politicians tele-commute
The argument: The House of Commons typically has the longest number of siting days of any legislature in Canada, says Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice, a national organization that aims to elect women to all levels of political office. In 2014, for example, there were 127 days for the House of Commons compared to 72 for the Ontario legislature.
Among other demands, this requires a lot of travel time for MPs who live beyond the Toronto-Montreal corridor. And this discourages women from running in a federal election, particularly those who have caregiving responsibilities — even if they have a partner at home, Peckford says.
“Canada is such a big country. MPs from smaller centres and more remote areas are traveling crazy amounts of time to participate in committees. If you have a two to four hour flight, you have a travel burden.”
Peckford questions whether it is necessary for MPs to be present in person for every committee meeting, debate and vote. MPs and their constituents would benefit from the increasing use of technologies suck as Skype, she argues. Parliamentary committees already use Skype and webcasting to hear from experts.
She proposes a trial period where MPs could participate in committee using these kinds of technologies. The impact of the trial could be assessed to determine whether it’s an effective way for MPs to conduct some of their business. It would require a change of protocols, and not necessarily an act of Parliament, she says.
“We could leverage modern technology that is used in almost every other sector. The travel burden is absurd in this country. Female parliamentarians already have a shorter shelf life. We have to make political life more sustainable.”
Bangladeshi men hold placards highlighting the violence against women during a rally to mark the International Women’s Day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Idea: Believe her
The Argument: Believing women and listening to them when they come forward to talk about sexual harassment and sexual assault is a philosophical underpinning of #MeToo and #BelieveHer and other social media movements that have propelled discussions about sexual violence into the forefront in recent months.
It is a response to the fact that not believing women has long been the default when it comes to sexual assault, as statistics speak to. An estimated five per cent of sexual assault cases in Canada are reported to police. Of those reported, 20 per cent end up in court and about 10 per cent of those result in a conviction. A large number of cases that are reported to police end up being declared unfounded. Many police services, including Ottawa’s, are looking back at unfounded cases, in part because of the work of researchers, including University of Ottawa criminology professor Holly Johnson.
Believing women when they come forward, as a first position, is also controversial. Some fear it puts men at risk of false accusations, does away with due process and gives some claims more credibility than they deserve.
Johnson says all accusations should be evaluated in light of “probabilities and evidence.”
The problem, she adds, is with the prima facie assumption that the woman must be lying.
ALSO: Johnson: Sex assault cases – why men seem to come out OK
“I am arguing that claims of sexual harassment or violence should be believed, like any other claim of wrongdoing, until and unless there is reason to dismiss it.” Up until the recent past, she said, claims were dismissed without reason and often in the face of compelling evidence.
“If I said someone stole my cellphone, we wouldn’t say ‘You brought this on yourself.’”
Research shows that most women do not lie about sexual assault and harassment, she said. “It is a very embarrassing, stigmatizing, humiliating thing to do.”
Believing women as a default as a cultural change means fewer will go underground, she says, and fewer stigmatized. In many cases, harassment claims and concerns can then be discussed and dealt with informally.
“The criminal justice system is not a solution to this problem. It is a big failure for women.”
False allegations exist, but they are extremely rare and generally easy to discover. Sexual harassment and assault is not rare. Listening to women when they talk about it and taking action has the potential to change workplaces, community spaces and life for women.
Former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell.
The idea: A woman elected for every riding
The argument: Kim Campbell, Canada’s only and first female prime minister ( June 25, 1993, to Nov. 4, 1993) has on several occasions urged modifying the the electoral system to accelerate women’s representation in elected office. In a 2009 speech in Toronto, Campbell noted: “Going at the rate we are now, it will take another four generations of women before we reach 50 per cent women.”
In the 2015 election, 88 women were elected to the 338-member House of Commons, or 26 per cent — an increase of 12 seats compared to 76 women elected in 2011.
Campbell has publicly discussed the “dual ridings” proposal on several occasions and has said it would not require doubling the number of federal ridings. Rather, a commission could develop a new electoral map, combining ridings and making other adjustments.
READ: McKenna: How to run – like a girl – for political office
It would work this way: Parties would nominate a male and a female candidate for each riding. The female candidates would then vie against female candidates from the other parties. The winners of both the male and female races would represent the riding as MPs.
The idea is not without precedent. Campbell has mentioned that she had been elected to the BC legislature in 1986 from a two-member constituency. The practice was once well-known in the Maritimes. “There it was used for the Catholics and Protestants; they used to elect members of each group and it guaranteed equal representation,” she said in a 2014 speech.
There are plenty of opponents. Critics have argued that nominating candidates based on gender could lead to demands that other imbalances in representation be corrected this way, such as race, ethnicity or income.
Campbell has defended the idea. Women are a unique case because they are half the population, she has argued. “In no other of those categories is there a 50-50 split. We already have those efforts to add diversity. It’s not the answer to every form of diversity – it’s the answer to one problem.”
The idea: Quote her
The argument: When the organization Informed Opinions — whose mission is to “amplify women’s voices for a more democratic Canada” — measured the ratio of women’s to men’s voices in Canadian media in 2015, the numbers told a story: Out of nearly 1,500 news stories and interviews, 29 per cent of the voices quoted belong to women, 71 per cent to men.
Those numbers were actually up over previous years, in part because of the work of Informed Opinions, training women to write opinion articles, encouraging women to present themselves as experts and giving media outlets a data bank of women with expertise. In 2010, a similar news audit found 22 per cent of voices quoted were women. So things were improving, but slowly.
Shari Graydon, founder of Informed Opinions, says the ratio between women and men quoted in media should be close to 50-50, for numerous reasons. When women’s voices are not represented in opinion articles, she said, often issues that strongly affect women are also underrepresented. “Our research finds that women are more inclined to ask questions and pose solutions for a wide range of other topics that don’t make headlines when only men’s voices are present. These include heartbreakingly predictable issues such as sexual abuse of children and violence against women, but also broader concerns like access to water and food, dementia and safety.”
The danger of underrepresentation in media is a bigger issue when it comes to women of colour and indigenous women.
READ: Tuczynski: Give yourself a pat on the back, ladies
READ: McGuinty: A #MeThree movement, based on truth and reconciliation
Graydon notes that under-represention plays directly in to peoples views of women’s roles — even young women and girls, which creates the “can’t see her can‘t be her” phenomenon.
Ed Yong, an award-winning science writer with the Atlantic magazine, spent two years trying to fix gender imbalance in his stories and wrote about it in a widely shared article.
“Women in science face a gauntlet of well-documented systemic biases. They face long-standing stereotypes about their intelligence and scientific acumen. They need better college grades to get the same prestige as equally skilled men, they receive less mentoring, they’re rated as less competent and less employable than equally qualified men … they earn less than their male peers, and they have to deal with significant levels of harassment and abuse.”
Gender bias in the media contributes to all of that, he concluded. And making a point of balancing voices added a fresh perspective.
Graydon and Informed Opinions have come up with a solution some will find audacious — “a quota on quoting women.” It amounts to more of a public challenge than actual quotas. Informed Opinions is beginning to track major media in the country with a website that measures the balance of female to male voices. “We’ll use the results to celebrate the leaders and motivate the laggards.”
Linda Duxbury, business professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business.
The idea: Tax breaks for eldercare
The argument: Eldercare affects women disproportionately, says Linda Duxbury, a professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of business and co-author of Something’s Got to Give: Balancing Work, Childcare and Eldercare.
The book was based on data gathered from 25,000 workers in some of Canada’s largest employers. About 29 per cent of women with eldercare responsibilities reported that they had less time for themselves (compared to 27 per cent of men caring for elders) while 36 per cent of the women reported having less time to sleep (compared to 30 per cent of the men) and 42 per cent reported that it affected their personal energy (compared to 35 per cent of the men).
Meanwhile, eldercare was the biggest predictor of stress and depression, says Duxbury. There are also costs to the economy — workers who feel overloaded by caregiving responsibilities are more likely to decline training, challenging new assignments or promotions and are more likely to be absent from work and cost more in benefits.
How it works: Informal caregiving — doing tasks for elders such as vacuuming, grocery shopping or taking elders to appointments, reduces the cost of health care to the system. But tax breaks for caregivers are focused on childcare, Duxbury says.
“We don’t recognize that there are two kinds of dependents — children and elders. We have to give people to same kind of tax credits for eldercare as for looking after children.”
Duxbury believes the tax credits of eldercare should kick in for a number of reasons — if a parent is frail, has vision problems or dementia, for example, there could be a $200 monthly tax credit. “It would be a concrete recognition that we appreciate informal care. And it would give the caregiver some money to help pay for the strain,” says Duxbury. “It’s time to do it. It would benefit a huge number of Canadians.”
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The idea: Make universal childcare happen, finally
The argument: Childcare is the elephant in the room for Canadian families. For women, who disproportionately bear the brunt of childcare responsibilities, it is a super-sized elephant.
It has been nearly half a century since a national childcare program for Canada was first proposed — by the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. There have been several attempts by federal governments since then to introduce one.
One came close to reality under Paul Martin’s Liberals, but never got off the ground. Since then, starting with Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, childcare has been addressed through benefits — arriving in monthly cheques that some quip barely cover the cost of gas to daycare.
Childcare costs are soaring and access to high-quality daycare remains patchy, frustrating parents and straining their budgets.
Meanwhile, Quebec has introduced state-funded childcare that is affordable for all. The move has increased the participation of women in the workforce in Quebec. “In fact, it is the only province in which women’s economic participation has not stalemated,” says Sarah Kaplan, director of the Institute for Gender and the Economy and Distinguished Professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
Childcare, she says, needs to be thought of as an investment, not an expenditure.
The arguments in favour of universal, state-sponsored childcare include the benefits to families — who are forking over mortgage-sized payments for daycare — to companies, which benefit from less absenteeism and turnover related to childcare issues, and to the economy in general, from greater female participation in the economy and all that entails.
For women, universal childcare helps reduce work-related gender inequality, including the persistent wage gap, advocates say.
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In photos: 41 ordinary, exceptional women from around the world
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In photos: 41 ordinary, exceptional women from around the world
Maria Jose Martienz Ortiz, 43, Spanish firefighter poses for a picture in the 'Fuente San Luis' fire station facilities in Valencia on February 28, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images
Shana Power, 25, a mixed martial artist (MMA), poses for a picture in the gym which she co-owns called Power House Intensive Training (PHIT), in Johannesburg on February 28, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. GULSHAN KHAN/AFP/Getty Images
Heather Marold Thomason, butcher and founder of Primal Supply Meats, poses for a picture in her company's dry-aging room on March 2, 2018, in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty Images
Lebanese mechanic Rana el-Hayek, 22, poses in a car repair garage where she works in Qannabat Brummana, northeast of Beirut, on March 3, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images
Pakistani first responder Samra Akram Zia poses for a photograph with her motorcycle ambulance service during a passing out ceremony in Lahore on February 24, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. ARIF ALI/AFP/Getty Images
Asmaa Megahed a 31-year-old Egyptian carpenter poses for a picture at her workshop in Abdeen district in downtown Cairo on February 26, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images
Ana Sousa, 45, TAP Air Portugal pilot for 11 years, poses for a portrait at a TAP hangar in Lisbon on February 28, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images
Mai Ibrahim Al-Mesad, Project Manager of the maritime section of the Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway, poses for a picture at the construction site in Kuwait City on March 4, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images
Master tailor Kathryn Sargent poses for a portrait in her shop in central London on February 23, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images
South Sudanese cattle herder Mary Amer, 22, poses with her child in a camp in Mingkaman, South Sudan, on March 3, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. STEFANIE GLINSKI/AFP/Getty Images
Sarah Achieng a 31 year-old professional boxer and sports administrator poses after her training session at Kariobangi social hall gym in Nairobi on February 27, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. PATRICIA ESTEVE/AFP/Getty Images
Amaia Gorostiza, 51, business woman and president of the SD Eibar football club poses for a picture in the locker room at the Ipurua stadium in Eibar on February 27, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. ANDER GILLENEA/AFP/Getty Images
Bhramaramba Maheshwari P., 59, an Indian Sanskrit scholar and Hindu priestess, poses for a photograph at a wedding hall in Bangalore on February 21, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP/Getty Images
Hannah Beachler, production designer, poses for a picture in West Hollywood, California, on February 22, 2018. Hannah Beachler has designed Wakanda, the "Black Panther" fictional African home and world. Hannah is the only black woman at the top of her field. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images
Somali football coach and player Marwa Mauled Abdi, 24, poses at the football ground of Ubah fitness center, the first football field exclusively opened for women, in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, northwestern Somalia, on March 1, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. MUSTAFA SAEED/AFP/Getty Images
French rejoneadora (mounted bullfighter who uses a lance) Lea Vincens, 33, poses at the Aracena bullring, in Huelva, southern Spain on February 25, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images
This picture taken on February 23, 2018 shows Ran Namise, 24, a firefighter belonging to the command squad, posing in front of a fire engine at Kojimachi Fire Station in Tokyo. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images
Houssa Nientao, 64, one of the few female marabouts in Bamako, poses in a room at her in Bamako on February 20, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. MICHELE CATTANI/AFP/Getty Images
Elizabeth Spehar, United Nations Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), poses for a picture after a Peace Medals handing ceremony at the old Nicosia airport in the UN Buffer Zone on February 22, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. AMIR MAKAR/AFP/Getty Images
Rajpati Devi, 45, a bike mechanic and puncture repairer, poses at her roadside workshop in Allahabad on February 24, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP/Getty Images
This photo taken on February 23, 2018 shows New South Wales state emergency services (SES) volunteer Michelle Whye posing in uniform in front of an emergency vehicle at their headquarters in Sydney. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images
Anny Divya, 31, an Indian pilot who became the youngest woman in the world to captain the Boeing 777 aircraft, poses next to portraits of various air marshals at the Indian Air Force Museum in New Delhi on February 24, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images
Zahida, a Pakistani female police Assistance Sub-Inspector (ASI), poses for a photograph at a police academy in Peshawar on February 26, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. ABDUL MAJEED/AFP/Getty Images
Razia Banu, 20, a Pakistani female national boxing champion, poses for a picture before a practice session at a boxing club in Lyari, Karachi's most restive -- and sporty -- neighbourhood, on February 20, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty Images
This photo taken on February 21, 2018 shows 28-year-old Australian sheep shearer Emma Billet surrounded by sheep on a station outside the town of Trangie in western New South Wales. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images
Argentine referee Estela Alvarez de Olivera, who turns 40 on March 2, poses at the Boca Juniors football team stadium "La Bombonera", in Buenos Aires on February 27, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images
First Albino female prisons officer Nomatter Mashaire, (32), stands in a corridor at the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) headquarters on 22 February 2018 in Harare, Zimbabwe. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. ZINYANGE AUNTONY/AFP/Getty Images
Locomotive, or "mule", operator Glaciela Shreeves, 53, poses for pictures at the Panama Canal's Pedro Miguel Locks, where she works towing ships through the locks, on the outskirts of Panama City on February 22, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images
Kuldeep KaurIndian, 51, an Indian watchwoman, walks with a flashlight during her night round at Bhangiwal village near Mehatpur, some 40km south from Jalandhar on February 24, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. SHAMMI MEHRA/AFP/Getty Images
To mark the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8, 2018 AFP presents a series of 45 photos depicting women performing roles or working in professions more traditionally held by men. More images can be found in http://www.afpforum.com Search SLUG "WOMEN-DAY -PACKAGE". Jodie Azhar, 30, Lead Technical Artist on the Total War game series at Creative Assembly, poses for a portrait in her offices in Horsham, West Sussex, south of London, on February 23, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images
Professional wrestler Cristal (Crystal) poses for a photograph in her trainig place on February 09, 2018 in Mexico city, Mexico. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. OMAR TORRES/AFP/Getty Images
French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, the only female three-starred Michelin chef in France and one of a handful in the world, poses on March 2, 2018 in the kitchen of her restaurant "La maison Pic" in Valence, southeastern France. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli army sergeant Amit Malekin, 19, commander of a mobile rocket launcher, poses for a picture in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the border between Israel and Syria on February 26, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Huda Salem, a 20-year-old member of the Iraqi national weightlifting team, lifts weights as she trains at a gym in Baghdad on February 22, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
Canal Locks operator Eyda Rios, 55, poses for pictures at the Panama Canal's Pedro Miguel Locks, on the outskirts of Panama City on February 26, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images
Carla Rozalen, 29 years old, helicopter pilot poses for a picture in front of a Bell 412 twin-engine utility helicopter at the FAASA Group, in Palma del Rio, Cordoba on February 27, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images
Ana Cristina, 44, tram driver for 20 years, poses for a portrait inside a tram in Lisbon on February 28, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images
Spanish journalist, Paloma Garcia Ovejero, 42, deputy director spokeswoman at the Holy See Press Office, the first women to ever hold the this position, poses for a picture at St Peter's square on February 28, 2018 in Vatican. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images
Spanish Legionnaire Rosa Galvez, 36, poses at the Spanish Legion military base "Alvarez de Sotomayor" in Viator, near Almeria, on March 2, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. JORGE GUERRERO/AFP/Getty Images
Tabasumm, 30, an auto-rickshaw driver, poses with her vehicle in Allahabad on February 22, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP/Getty Images
Carmen Cousello, 58, who was in 1998 Uruguay's first female bus driver, poses for a picture in Montevideo on February 28, 2018. In the ring, battling flames or lifting off into space, women have entered professions generally considered as men's jobs. For International Women's Day, AFP met with women breaking down the barriers of gender-bias in the work world. PABLO PORCIUNCULA BRUNE/AFP/Getty Images
To mark the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8, 2018 AFP presents a series of photos depicting women performing roles or working in professions more traditionally held by men. MARVIN RECINOS/AFP/Getty Images
The idea: Give dads use-it-or-lose-it paternity leave
The argument: Encouraging more fathers to take time off work to care for their children benefits women, and families in general, in some very concrete ways. One of the biggest benefits? Reducing the gender pay gap.
Canadian women working full time earn 74 cents for every dollar earned by a man working full time, according to Statistics Canada.
Children are the primary driver of the gender wage gap, says Sarah Kaplan, Institute for Gender and the Economy and Distinguished Professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
“Because women are still these days expected to absorb most of the childcare and flexibility required for children, they often switch jobs or careers into more flexible situations or part-time work, or they leave the workforce altogether. The result is that they end up earning less than men.”
Some people call this a choice, she notes, “but it is a choice structured by a social context in which we expect women to do childcare and other home responsibilities.”
So what can be done?
Andrea Doucet, a sociologist at Brock University, says encouraging men to take paternity leave (parental leave for fathers) disrupts deeply rooted ideas about men and work. It also gives women a chance to focus on their own paid work, as men help shoulder the childcare load.
Sweden may have the solution.
In that country, each parent is entitled to take full-time leave from work until their child is 18 months old, whether or not they are using paid benefits.
Parents are eligible to 240 days each, and days may be transferred between them — although some days are reserved for each parent. Of these, 90 days are reserved for the mother, and are not transferable. Another 90 days are reserved for the father. The remaining days can be transferred between the parents. There is also an extra pension supplement for the parent who earns the least income during the child’s first four years. The way it is set up forces men to take their leave.
Paternity leaves make it possible for women to go back to work. It also “disrupts the culture” so men see themselves as caregivers. Swedish research further found that mothers’ incomes increased for every month of leave fathers took.
It’s a good thing for both men and women, says Doucet. It fosters better father-child relationships — and reduces the housework burden on women. While on paternity leave, men are more involved in childcare and housework and the effects are especially notable when men take paternity leave without their partner at home, Doucet says.
“Women have woven their lives around care responsibilities. I would argue that it creates a richer life. Some people argue that’s why women live longer,” Doucet says.
“Men start to see the list of tasks and start to take on some of those burdens. Men start to see what care is all about. Knowing what each child needs is an important part of care work. Men who get involved really get invested,” she says. “All of this helps women. It’s why Sweden set up parental leave the way they do.”
Kaplan argues that, in order to have an impact, the amount of paternity leave offered must be for an extended period — which is more than the five weeks that exists in Quebec and recently announced by the federal government. And, in order to incentivize fathers to take the time, it must be dedicated paternity leave.
The idea: Enforce turnover on corporate boards — and maybe even quotas
The argument: Canada lags behind many countries when it comes to gender balance on corporate boards. Among publicly traded companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange, just 14 per cent of board seats are held by women.
What difference would more women on boards make? Corporate boards — and executives — are a centre of power in society. More diversity, including women, people of racial, cultural and sexual diversity better represent society. Research suggests women would benefit from better representation on corporate boards, as would the businesses themselves.
Given that women make up 47 per cent of the work force, 60 per cent of university graduates and control over 70 per cent of purchases, their low representation on boards “feels like an imbalance of power at a leadership level,” says Tany van Biesen, executive director of Catalyst Canada, a non-profit organization that focuses on women’s progress in the workplace.
Research suggests companies with more female board directors perform better financially — including better stock performance and higher returns on equity. There is also a relationship between more women on corporate boards and improved corporate social responsibility, corporate giving and equity, research has found.
MORE: Ottawa’s first black female police inspector sees ‘a picture much bigger than myself’
But here’s a thought: The business case should not be the only reason for corporations to bring more women on to their boards of directors, said van Biesen. It’s not just the smart thing to do; it’s the right thing to do, she said.
In Europe, Norway, Iceland, France and Germany have all instituted quotas to insure 40 per cent of corporate board members are women. The U.K. has opted for “more of a nudge than a push,” said van Biesen, by requiring corporate boards have term limits, to ensure turnover, rather than instituting quotas.
The solution? The Canadian solution has focused on voluntary compliance and “comply or explain” rules — meaning corporations listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange are required to report annually on the number of women on their board and executive team, among other measures, including whether term limits or other board ‘renewal mechanisms” have been introduced. Progress has been slow, however.
Van Biesen said more companies need renewal mechanisms. She is hesitant, however, to recommend quotas, saying they can sometimes create a backlash and governments have little appetite to enforce them. If things don’t change, though, she said quotas should be considered.
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Dr. Virginia Roth is the chief of staff at The Ottawa Hospital.
The idea: Have women involved in the hiring
The argument: Dr. Virginia Roth is the first female chief of staff at The Ottawa Hospital. She also has a strong interest in increasing the numbers of women in hospital leadership roles. “It’s about how to get the best minds around the table, regardless of gender,” she says.
To find out what was preventing women from seeking leadership roles, Roth and a group of co-researchers randomly selected a group of female physicians and held facilitated focus groups. They found that the women were not driven by titles or compensation as much as the ability to make a difference, and saw leadership as an opportunity to build relationships beyond their usual range as well as advocating on a higher scale.
Many women perceived the costs of leadership as being greater than the benefits. Some who had sought leadership roles in the past and failed to get those roles said they had vowed never to do it again. “There was the sense of getting the wind knocked out of you,” Roth says.
The solution? One way to attract interest in leadership is to ensure that women understand the how recruitment and selection work — that is, the “rules of the game” when it comes to getting chosen, says Roth. “Organizations have to make these transparent.”
That starts with taking an objective look at the selection committee, she says. The hospital instituted a bylaw requiring selection committees be reflective of the proportion of women in the group, or that there be a minimum of two women out of eight people on committee. “I have had women say how encouraging it was to see other women in the room. It’s a simple thing,” she says.
The hospital also introduced three strategic initiatives: offering flexible hours, the ability to take leaves of absence for whatever reason, and practical supports for situations, like emergency childcare. The hospital engaged a local firm that offers its services on short notice, even at night and during weekends. The firm does all the legwork and takes the stress out of an unexpected situation, Roth says.
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The idea: Spaces that are dedicated to women
The argument: When the question of women and urban space comes up, it’s usually framed as asking how public spaces can be made safer for women, by designing open spaces or more brightly lit streets, for example.
But women’s safety is a social issue and not a design issue, says Cynthia Hammond, co-director of the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling at Concordia University.
“The problem, in essence, is that men attack women. Buildings and lighting do not attack women,” she says. “It’s still audacious to say that there should be spaces for women, and self-identified women, only. And I find that people still have a knee-jerk, negative reaction to that proposition.”
How it would work? Hammond says women need to close the door sometimes. She points to Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, which argues that a woman needs money and a space of her own in order to write. There are numerous historical examples of women-only spaces, and some existing spaces that are accessible to both men and women, but are dedicated to women’s experiences. One example is Montreal’s Le Centrale Galerie Powerhouse, a gallery that has been run by women and exhibited the works of feminist artists for over 40 years. Another is the Women’s Library in London, England, which has a collection of literature, letters and journals written by women, as well as a being home to the largest collection of suffrage memorabilia in the world.
The point with such institutions is not so much that they are designed for women exclusively, but that they prioritize women’s experiences and histories, Hammond says.
Women-only spaces are still necessary. And access to these spaces needs to be uncontested, says Hammond. It is not uncommon for controversy to erupt when women seek such a “safe space” of their own, she points out.
“Why is it threatening when women demand privacy? People still find it troubling when women want to be on their own or with other women only. But the reality is that society isn’t egalitarian, nor are our streets safe. Women need a break from that.”
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Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice.
The idea: Let the politicians tele-commute
The argument: The House of Commons typically has the longest number of siting days of any legislature in Canada, says Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice, a national organization that aims to elect women to all levels of political office. In 2014, for example, there were 127 days for the House of Commons compared to 72 for the Ontario legislature.
Among other demands, this requires a lot of travel time for MPs who live beyond the Toronto-Montreal corridor. And this discourages women from running in a federal election, particularly those who have caregiving responsibilities — even if they have a partner at home, Peckford says.
“Canada is such a big country. MPs from smaller centres and more remote areas are traveling crazy amounts of time to participate in committees. If you have a two to four hour flight, you have a travel burden.”
Peckford questions whether it is necessary for MPs to be present in person for every committee meeting, debate and vote. MPs and their constituents would benefit from the increasing use of technologies suck as Skype, she argues. Parliamentary committees already use Skype and webcasting to hear from experts.
She proposes a trial period where MPs could participate in committee using these kinds of technologies. The impact of the trial could be assessed to determine whether it’s an effective way for MPs to conduct some of their business. It would require a change of protocols, and not necessarily an act of Parliament, she says.
“We could leverage modern technology that is used in almost every other sector. The travel burden is absurd in this country. Female parliamentarians already have a shorter shelf life. We have to make political life more sustainable.”
Bangladeshi men hold placards highlighting the violence against women during a rally to mark the International Women’s Day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Idea: Believe her
The Argument: Believing women and listening to them when they come forward to talk about sexual harassment and sexual assault is a philosophical underpinning of #MeToo and #BelieveHer and other social media movements that have propelled discussions about sexual violence into the forefront in recent months.
It is a response to the fact that not believing women has long been the default when it comes to sexual assault, as statistics speak to. An estimated five per cent of sexual assault cases in Canada are reported to police. Of those reported, 20 per cent end up in court and about 10 per cent of those result in a conviction. A large number of cases that are reported to police end up being declared unfounded. Many police services, including Ottawa’s, are looking back at unfounded cases, in part because of the work of researchers, including University of Ottawa criminology professor Holly Johnson.
Believing women when they come forward, as a first position, is also controversial. Some fear it puts men at risk of false accusations, does away with due process and gives some claims more credibility than they deserve.
Johnson says all accusations should be evaluated in light of “probabilities and evidence.”
The problem, she adds, is with the prima facie assumption that the woman must be lying.
ALSO: Johnson: Sex assault cases – why men seem to come out OK
“I am arguing that claims of sexual harassment or violence should be believed, like any other claim of wrongdoing, until and unless there is reason to dismiss it.” Up until the recent past, she said, claims were dismissed without reason and often in the face of compelling evidence.
“If I said someone stole my cellphone, we wouldn’t say ‘You brought this on yourself.’”
Research shows that most women do not lie about sexual assault and harassment, she said. “It is a very embarrassing, stigmatizing, humiliating thing to do.”
Believing women as a default as a cultural change means fewer will go underground, she says, and fewer stigmatized. In many cases, harassment claims and concerns can then be discussed and dealt with informally.
“The criminal justice system is not a solution to this problem. It is a big failure for women.”
False allegations exist, but they are extremely rare and generally easy to discover. Sexual harassment and assault is not rare. Listening to women when they talk about it and taking action has the potential to change workplaces, community spaces and life for women.
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Former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell.
The idea: A woman elected for every riding
The argument: Kim Campbell, Canada’s only and first female prime minister ( June 25, 1993, to Nov. 4, 1993) has on several occasions urged modifying the the electoral system to accelerate women’s representation in elected office. In a 2009 speech in Toronto, Campbell noted: “Going at the rate we are now, it will take another four generations of women before we reach 50 per cent women.”
In the 2015 election, 88 women were elected to the 338-member House of Commons, or 26 per cent — an increase of 12 seats compared to 76 women elected in 2011.
Campbell has publicly discussed the “dual ridings” proposal on several occasions and has said it would not require doubling the number of federal ridings. Rather, a commission could develop a new electoral map, combining ridings and making other adjustments.
READ: McKenna: How to run – like a girl – for political office
It would work this way: Parties would nominate a male and a female candidate for each riding. The female candidates would then vie against female candidates from the other parties. The winners of both the male and female races would represent the riding as MPs.
The idea is not without precedent. Campbell has mentioned that she had been elected to the BC legislature in 1986 from a two-member constituency. The practice was once well-known in the Maritimes. “There it was used for the Catholics and Protestants; they used to elect members of each group and it guaranteed equal representation,” she said in a 2014 speech.
There are plenty of opponents. Critics have argued that nominating candidates based on gender could lead to demands that other imbalances in representation be corrected this way, such as race, ethnicity or income.
Campbell has defended the idea. Women are a unique case because they are half the population, she has argued. “In no other of those categories is there a 50-50 split. We already have those efforts to add diversity. It’s not the answer to every form of diversity – it’s the answer to one problem.”
The idea: Quote her
The argument: When the organization Informed Opinions — whose mission is to “amplify women’s voices for a more democratic Canada” — measured the ratio of women’s to men’s voices in Canadian media in 2015, the numbers told a story: Out of nearly 1,500 news stories and interviews, 29 per cent of the voices quoted belong to women, 71 per cent to men.
Those numbers were actually up over previous years, in part because of the work of Informed Opinions, training women to write opinion articles, encouraging women to present themselves as experts and giving media outlets a data bank of women with expertise. In 2010, a similar news audit found 22 per cent of voices quoted were women. So things were improving, but slowly.
Shari Graydon, founder of Informed Opinions, says the ratio between women and men quoted in media should be close to 50-50, for numerous reasons. When women’s voices are not represented in opinion articles, she said, often issues that strongly affect women are also underrepresented. “Our research finds that women are more inclined to ask questions and pose solutions for a wide range of other topics that don’t make headlines when only men’s voices are present. These include heartbreakingly predictable issues such as sexual abuse of children and violence against women, but also broader concerns like access to water and food, dementia and safety.”
The danger of underrepresentation in media is a bigger issue when it comes to women of colour and indigenous women.
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Graydon notes that under-represention plays directly in to peoples views of women’s roles — even young women and girls, which creates the “can’t see her can‘t be her” phenomenon.
Ed Yong, an award-winning science writer with the Atlantic magazine, spent two years trying to fix gender imbalance in his stories and wrote about it in a widely shared article.
“Women in science face a gauntlet of well-documented systemic biases. They face long-standing stereotypes about their intelligence and scientific acumen. They need better college grades to get the same prestige as equally skilled men, they receive less mentoring, they’re rated as less competent and less employable than equally qualified men … they earn less than their male peers, and they have to deal with significant levels of harassment and abuse.”
Gender bias in the media contributes to all of that, he concluded. And making a point of balancing voices added a fresh perspective.
Graydon and Informed Opinions have come up with a solution some will find audacious — “a quota on quoting women.” It amounts to more of a public challenge than actual quotas. Informed Opinions is beginning to track major media in the country with a website that measures the balance of female to male voices. “We’ll use the results to celebrate the leaders and motivate the laggards.”
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Linda Duxbury, business professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business.
The idea: Tax breaks for eldercare
The argument: Eldercare affects women disproportionately, says Linda Duxbury, a professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of business and co-author of Something’s Got to Give: Balancing Work, Childcare and Eldercare.
The book was based on data gathered from 25,000 workers in some of Canada’s largest employers. About 29 per cent of women with eldercare responsibilities reported that they had less time for themselves (compared to 27 per cent of men caring for elders) while 36 per cent of the women reported having less time to sleep (compared to 30 per cent of the men) and 42 per cent reported that it affected their personal energy (compared to 35 per cent of the men).
Meanwhile, eldercare was the biggest predictor of stress and depression, says Duxbury. There are also costs to the economy — workers who feel overloaded by caregiving responsibilities are more likely to decline training, challenging new assignments or promotions and are more likely to be absent from work and cost more in benefits.
How it works: Informal caregiving — doing tasks for elders such as vacuuming, grocery shopping or taking elders to appointments, reduces the cost of health care to the system. But tax breaks for caregivers are focused on childcare, Duxbury says.
“We don’t recognize that there are two kinds of dependents — children and elders. We have to give people to same kind of tax credits for eldercare as for looking after children.”
Duxbury believes the tax credits of eldercare should kick in for a number of reasons — if a parent is frail, has vision problems or dementia, for example, there could be a $200 monthly tax credit. “It would be a concrete recognition that we appreciate informal care. And it would give the caregiver some money to help pay for the strain,” says Duxbury. “It’s time to do it. It would benefit a huge number of Canadians.”
jlaucius@postmedia.com
epayne@postmedia.com
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