One of the most integral elements of a just, democratic society is equality for all. In any facet of life, every individual should have an opportunity to strive and succeed, alongside every other. Unfortunately, humanity’s perilous past consisted of rigid discrimination of certain human beings based on their differences. One of the most prevalent forms of inequality has created a substantial divide between the two halves of the population; the men and the women. Even with the progress that the western world is making towards gender equality today, the workforce is still a glaring example of pressing gender inequality. However, a newly proposed quota put forth by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan suggests that every firm on the TSX be required
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Women have long been oppressed in society, and this oppression has translated into segregation in the workforce for a long time. Given the overwhelming male dominance evident in almost every firm in the past century, men have come to see themselves as the dominant sex. A drastic paradigm shift is necessary in order to change these social norms, and this is exactly what the Teachers’ Pension Plan is aiming for. Sexism and misogyny will steadily disappear with this quota firmly in place, as it looks to, “equalize the power discrepancy between men and women” (Kittay 1999, 12). Having men and women share equal footing on these boards will mitigate the concepts of superiority and inferiority. In the hiring process, companies will have no option but to shift their lens, giving equal consideration to both male and female applicants. Thus, it will be the most qualified applicant that gets the job, and not simply the most qualified male, so that it is legitimately the most suitable workers that receive the job. Furthermore, once a woman earns her position on a board, she will be treated as a professional, as her colleagues recognize the effort she put in to obtain her position. Kittay argues that equalizing wages and benefits for female workers only benefits the women, are likely quite wealthy as it is. it may be the case that currently, these types of gender …show more content…
No individual is entirely independent from the people around them; male or female, every person has dependency needs, as they are called. Attending to these needs is called dependency work, and this responsibility has almost always fell on women for many generations; the men have always been the workers, the breadwinners, while the women stay home and provide care for their children. This societal norm has not only created stigma around women in the workforce, but also around men doing dependency work of any kind. Women have been hindered by society’s expectations to fulfil the dependencies of others; this notion has “pervaded their lives such that it has thrown doubt on the aspiration that they will ever share the world with men in equality” (Kittay 1999, 16). This quota will introduce a feminine presence to the workplace, and subsequently encourage a stronger male involvement in dependency work. Ultimately, this will an extremely impactful shift towards gender equality, as it opens up new windows of opportunity for men and women alike. The OTPP quota’s relevance to Kittay’s dependency critique—and the changes in equality that it incurs—could help mitigate the stark divide between the two genders. Presently, most, “societal interactions are not between persons symmetrically situated… where women are likely to be at one end of the
Women have long been oppressed in society, and this oppression has translated into segregation in the workforce for a long time. Given the overwhelming male dominance evident in almost every firm in the past century, men have come to see themselves as the dominant sex. A drastic paradigm shift is necessary in order to change these social norms, and this is exactly what the Teachers’ Pension Plan is aiming for. Sexism and misogyny will steadily disappear with this quota firmly in place, as it looks to, “equalize the power discrepancy between men and women” (Kittay 1999, 12). Having men and women share equal footing on these boards will mitigate the concepts of superiority and inferiority. In the hiring process, companies will have no option but to shift their lens, giving equal consideration to both male and female applicants. Thus, it will be the most qualified applicant that gets the job, and not simply the most qualified male, so that it is legitimately the most suitable workers that receive the job. Furthermore, once a woman earns her position on a board, she will be treated as a professional, as her colleagues recognize the effort she put in to obtain her position. Kittay argues that equalizing wages and benefits for female workers only benefits the women, are likely quite wealthy as it is. it may be the case that currently, these types of gender …show more content…
No individual is entirely independent from the people around them; male or female, every person has dependency needs, as they are called. Attending to these needs is called dependency work, and this responsibility has almost always fell on women for many generations; the men have always been the workers, the breadwinners, while the women stay home and provide care for their children. This societal norm has not only created stigma around women in the workforce, but also around men doing dependency work of any kind. Women have been hindered by society’s expectations to fulfil the dependencies of others; this notion has “pervaded their lives such that it has thrown doubt on the aspiration that they will ever share the world with men in equality” (Kittay 1999, 16). This quota will introduce a feminine presence to the workplace, and subsequently encourage a stronger male involvement in dependency work. Ultimately, this will an extremely impactful shift towards gender equality, as it opens up new windows of opportunity for men and women alike. The OTPP quota’s relevance to Kittay’s dependency critique—and the changes in equality that it incurs—could help mitigate the stark divide between the two genders. Presently, most, “societal interactions are not between persons symmetrically situated… where women are likely to be at one end of the