Bad news. This is from The Institute for Women’s Policy Research:
A new analysis released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) today on Equal Pay Day shows that men out-earn women in nearly every occupation for which data are available.
Of the more than 500 occupational categories for which sufficient data are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in only 5 occupations do women earn the same or more than men.
Why is this still happening in the 21st century? Part of the explanation is that “pink collar” jobs (nurses, teachers, social workers) pay less. But part of it is also that, according to Ariane Hegewisch,
“Women tend to be in the minority of workers in the occupations with the highest earnings. We need to ensure that women are fully informed about the earnings potential of an occupation before they
choose their careers.”
When you were a kid and the topic of careers came up, did anybody ever talk to you about income earning potential? Would it have made a difference, do you think?
Tagged as:
career,
money
Today, Vancouver plays hostess to the Juno Awards, celebrating Canadian music. Congrats to Divine Brown, Kathleen Edwards, Alannis, Deborah Cox, Sarah Slean, KD Lang, and the other gals up for prizes. Good stuff!
Women still remain among the minority when it comes to Juno nominations. Though they do own three categories entirely (”Vocal Jazz Album of the Year,” “New Artist of the Year,” and “R&B/Soul Recording of the Year“), few women (either on their own or as members of groups) get a nod elsewhere–consider their sparse presence for “Songwriter of the Year,” ”Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year,” “Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year,” and “New Group of the Year.” Several of the top categories, like “Album of the Year,” “Rock Album of the Year,” “Rap Recording of the Year,” and “Group of the Year” have no women representin.’ What’s up with that?
It may have been Courtney Love who, in an early nineties interview, lamented girls’ preference for dating boys in bands over picking up an instrument and starting their own. A 2008 British study suggests the gendering of musical instruments may be at least partly to blame for their absence on stage: for this reason, mid-nineties female bass player blip aside, drums and guitars remain squarely in male territory. Harp, piccolo, flute, and vocals, currently and historically, represent the more feminine routes to musical participation, according to this study. And whatever they do play, for women, professionalization can be tough; the music industry boys’ club continues to work to bar the door with varying types of “no girls allowed” signs.
The intention of this is not to rag on the Junos–frankly, in a country where the arts are so embattled it’s nice to see a televised presence like this. Kudos to the organizers and broadcasters for highlighting the varied talent Canada has produced. In the broader context of the Canadian music scene, however, one still has to wonder–what has to happen to generate more national exposure, fame, opportunities, and, frankly, money for women making music?
Tagged as:
Canada,
career,
celebrity,
menfolk,
music,
television,
women
All signs point to the jumpsuit as the “it” item of office-wear and evening apparel. Over the last few months, celebrities have rushed to embrace the jumpsuit, with varying degrees of success. I myself would never sport one, but I admit the jumpsuit’s possibilities are mildly intriguing. Emancipatory garb or harbinger of the apocalypse? Can the jumpsuit work for the everywoman?
The jumpsuit’s appeal and versatility are easy to appreciate - no need to match bottom and top, just slip on in, throw on some pumps, and get on with the revolution. But there’s a potentially dark underside. Gold sequined seventies memories aside, the jumpsuit’s reincarnation – like all clothing trends – could be construed not as a handshake of freedom but as just another temporary novelty served up by a flailing fashion industry to get women to plunk down their hard-earned money on a garment likely to be ridiculously out of style (read: unwearable and in need of immediate replacement) come this time next year. Ah, the annual planned obsolescence of the spring shows.
Given the environmental implications, it can’t be feminist to “invest” in potentially disposable fashion, can it? Or can it? What if wearing said jumpsuit boosts your confidence such that you nail “the big presentation,” thus forwarding your career? But then, can anyone really nail “the big presentation” in a jumpsuit?
Jumpsuit: stylish/convenient feminist utility garment with potential confidence-building properties or ugly piece of retro-crap-capitalist-mistake-purchase doomed to the back of the closet?
Tagged as:
career,
celebrity,
fashion,
jumpsuit
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