When it comes to the fight for gender equality, we’ve seen considerable progress made, but there is still a long ways to go.
Thankfully, nobody would now go as far as to question whether women should be in the workforce, or whether they should have the right to vote. The days of those ideas being tossed around are thankfully over, and it’s hard to believe that a little more than 100 years ago, women did not have the vote in Saskatchewan.
But there are many people who question whether women should be in certain professions. They believe women shouldn’t be in politics, or law enforcement, or the legal world, or in industry. They’ll say that women have no place in the business world, and they shouldn’t be on the boards of a big, powerful business.
They’ll say there are jobs that are for men and jobs that are for women, and that’s how it should always be.
And if a woman wants to get into one of the jobs in a male-dominated industry, then she shouldn’t make as much money as a man, and the men should be able to harass her and shun her, causing her to quit and look for work elsewhere.
(Most of us might scoff at such a mentality, but such people do exist, and there are more people with these archaic attitudes than sensible people might think).
The reality is that women can work in any sector, and can do a damn good job at it, too. The problem isn’t that they want to work in certain areas, the problem is with those who think women don’t belong.
Most men have very accepting of women in their workplaces, but there are still those who aren’t.
March 8 was International Women’s Day. Every year it’s a chance to reflect on the strides that have been made and the efforts of those who have come before us to create opportunities, but also the extensive work that remains, and how to gain that equality.
It’s an opportunity to celebrate the women in our lives and all that they have done for us.
And it’s a chance to honour the great women we have in our community, not just the high-profile women in positions of leadership, but those who do so many great things in their jobs and by volunteering in their communities.
Hopefully, one day, women won’t have to wonder why they make less than men, when they are doing the same job, have the same qualifications and boast the same level of experience.
Hopefully, one day, they won’t have to be sneered at by peers who think they have no place in their profession.
Last year, Lampman’s Mary Anne Veroba wrapped up a lengthy and successful tenure as the chairperson of the board for the Saskatchewan Hockey Association. She was the first female chairperson in the history of the organization, which is more than 100 years old.
She reflected when she first became president in 2013, when she said she hoped the day comes in which it’s no longer a big deal to have a woman as the chairperson of that board.
There are women chairing other boards who are thinking the exact same thing.
We’re fortunate to have our Women of Estevan/International Women’s Day special in the Mercury in March. It features profiles of so many women in our community. There are women who work in a variety of sectors, including some in professions that have not traditionally been open to women.
And it seems like there’s a representative from every different organization in the community.
It shows how women are making an impact in all sectors of our community and our region.
It shows how many strong women we have in the southeast.
It shows how much progress has been made.
But we all know a lot of work still remains.
