Uno Commission on the Status of Women
Very great interest has been aroused by the Findings of the Commission on the Status of Women, set up in connection with the Assembly of the United Nations, and composed of representatives of 15 countries. A fortnight of intensive work on every aspect of the life of women in the various countries resulted in a dearly stated report, which will, it is expected become available shortly. Among the many points discussed was that of “Equal pay for equal work for men and women." This is a principle for which some men and women have stood for many years, but about which a good deal of loose thinking still persists. Many women are opposed to it because they say “A man has a wife and family to keep and should have more than a woman.’’ It should be remembered that positions which were once filled by men almost exclusively are now filled by women. Why? For no other reason than that women cos» less. The work is not necessarily better done by women. In some cases men handle it much more easily and efficiently, but they are cut out of it simply because they expect higher wages than women. Or. the other side, we have the story of women doing work better than men and receiving only a portion of what men receive for the same work. L nder the Education authorities of some countries it is a common thing for a woman to have
full charge of a large school, and ter her remuneration to be much less than that of a second assistant in a boys’ school, his responsibility being only for his own class. This is only one ameng many similar anomalies. There are not many working women who do not carry some burden of responsibility for the support of other members of their families. They receive no consideration in the matter of taxation because they are women. They pay the same train and tram fares as men, and I have yet to hear of a taxi-driver who charges women less than men. Hotel and restaurant charges show pc discrimination. Why should women be handicapped then, by this obsolescent idea that it is unfair to pay them the same as men? It is time that all women really thought about it. It has been said that women themselves do not want the change, because they are afraid that under the “equal pay’’ regime, they will be found to be doing inferior work to that of men, and will not be employed as they are now. If this is true, it is merely an indication that many women are unsuitably employed, and would do better work in o.her spheres. The ramifications of the subject are endless. All vve ask is that as women vve should think clearly about such a problem and not be content to cling to outworn lines of argument.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/WHIRIB19480701.2.25
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White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 6, 1 July 1948, Page 8
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490Uno Commission on the Status of Women White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 6, 1 July 1948, Page 8
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