Canada sinks in global gender gap index

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remind remind's picture
Canada sinks in global gender gap index

Well, we have a Harper government for 2 years and this is what we get, 4 points behind the USA, unfuckingbelievable, but yet not so much either.

Quote:
Canada has plunged 13 spots in a global "gender gap index" and has fallen behind
the United States in the battle to narrow the gap between men and women in areas
such as income, education, health and political participation.

Canada now stands 31st out of 130 countries analysed by the Geneva-based
World Economic Forum, which started producing its world global gender gap index
in 2006.

The U.S. moved up four spots to 27th place, marking the first time it has
ranked ahead of Canada.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/story.html?id=a819af3c-1d2b-4d63-842...

remind remind's picture

From what I have read, a national day care program, wage parity, access to post secondary education for everyone, unpaid work is viewed as income and valued as such, are some of the factors.

___________________________________________________________
"watching the tide roll away"

Dippergirl

What is it that the Scandinavian countries are doing right? They've been at the top of the list for years. Forgive me my ignorance...but do they have some type of policies in place that mandate that women must make up a certain percentage in the workplace?

remind remind's picture

Because the reality is most Canadian men don't want it to happen, they enjoy their male hegemony too much, and thus will not support actions towards these endeavors.

___________________________________________________________
"watching the tide roll away"

Dippergirl

Why is it so hard to implement these things in Canada? I mean, I know it depends on who is in government, but why would such goals not be adopted by ALL parties here? From what I understand, even the more right-wing parties in the Scandinavian countries support the majority of these progressive policies and initiatives.

Dippergirl

Yeah, well...where are all the progressive men?

martin dufresne

I don't think Scandinavian men as a whole are that enthusiastic about gender equality either. But the women's movement in these countries has spent a long time lobbying the various parties and making sure they knew that many women's votes would be lost if they didn't come onside  proposals such as equal salaries, gov't-funded daycare services & the fight against sexual exploitation and trafficking by criminalizing the buying of sexual services - ideas that many men discreetly opposed, but that political parties were compelled to adopt under constant pressure by women's organizations.

It also helps to have multiple political parties, where the Left isn't demonized by all the media and sometimes manages to get elected or obtain the balance of power.

Unionist

Dippergirl wrote:
Why is it so hard to implement these things in Canada? I mean, I know it depends on who is in government, but why would such goals not be adopted by ALL parties here?

Having ONE party adopt such goals would be a good start. There ain't none.

Dippergirl

unionist wrote:

Having ONE party adopt such goals would be a good start. There ain't none.

True.

I guess I'm just not old enough to be cynical...yet. Wait until I hit 30, though.

remind remind's picture

Excellent point Martin, and here is a further info and link on this for Sweden.

Quote:
"In Sweden prostitution
is regarded as an aspect of male violence against women and children. It is
officially acknowledged as a form of exploitation of women and children and
constitutes a significant social problem... gender equality will remain
unattainable so long as men buy, sell and exploit women and children by
prostituting them."

In addition to the two
pronged legal strategy, a third and essential element of Sweden's prostitution
legislation provides for ample and comprehensive social service funds aimed at
helping any prostitute who wants to get out, and additional funds to educate the
public. As such, Sweden's unique strategy treats prostitution as a form of
violence against women in which the men who exploit by buying sex are
criminalized, the mostly female prostitutes are treated as victims who need
help, and the public is educated in order to counteract the historical male bias
that has long stultified thinking on prostitution. To securely anchor their view
in firm legal ground, Sweden's prostitution legislation was passed as part and
parcel of the country's 1999 omnibus violence against women
legislation.

An Early Obstacle in
the Path

Interestingly, despite
the country's extensive planning prior to passing the legislation, the first
couple years into this novel project nothing much happened at all. Police made
very few arrests of johns and prostitution in Sweden, which had previously been
legalized, went on pretty much as it had gone on before. Naysayers the world
over responded to the much publicized failure with raucous heckling, "See?
Prostitution always has been, and it always will be."

But eminently secure in
the thinking behind their plan, the Swedes paid no heed. They quickly
identified, then solved the problem. The hang-up, the place where their best
efforts had snagged, was that law enforcement wasn't doing it's part. The police
themselves, it was determined, needed in-depth training and orientation to what
the Swedish public and legislature already understood profoundly. Prostitution
is a form of male violence against women. The exploiter/buyers need to be
punished, and the victim/prostitutes need to be helped. The Swedish government
put up extensive funds and the country's police and prosecutors, from the top
ranks down to the officer on the beat, were given intensive training and a clear
message that the country meant business. It was then that the country quickly
began to see the unequaled results.

Today, not only do the
Swedish people continue to overwhelming support their country's approach to
prostitution (80% of people in favor according to national opinion polls), but
the country's police and prosecutors have also come around to be among the
legislation's staunchest supporters. Sweden's law enforcement has found that the
prostitution legislation benefits them in dealing with all sex crimes,
particularly in enabling them to virtually wipe out the organized crime element
that plagues other countries where prostitution has been legalized or
regulated.

http://www.justicewomen.com/cj_sweden.html

I will note it took the government to educate the police and justice system peoples into realizing it is violence against women.

__________________________________________________________
"watching the tide roll away"

Dippergirl

remind wrote:

I will note it took the government to educate the police and justice system peoples into realizing it is violence against women.

Excellent point. We have too many people in Canada who view government involvement as something to be feared.
Thanks for the interesting read, as well.