By Olivia Miller
April 11th is Equal Pay Day in Canada which marks how many months from January 1st a woman in Canada needs to work in order to earn what a man makes the entire preceding 12 months.
In other words, and according to Statscan, it takes 15.5 months for a woman to earn what a man does in one year (Cansim Table 206-0053). This translates into a wage gap of 26% for a full time working woman, an amount that is even higher for many other women depending on their circumstances; and this gap is only getting wider.
As a young woman entering the work force I find this information to be very disconcerting. Why should I be paid less for the same work as a man simply because of my gender? This gap must be eradicated.
As women are increasingly becoming the primary income earners of the family, it is clear that this issue concerns both men and women.
While I was very encouraged by the recent news that the United States women’s hockey team, after threatening to boycott the recent world championships, finally made significant gains in salaries and benefits, much more needs to be done.
Olivia Miller, Montreal
