By Barbara Hills
I was thinking today about all the changes that have happened so quickly with the impact of COVID-19: Vaccines produced in record time, companies adjusting to support their employees working from home, and the outpouring of money from government to support businesses and people in need.
The world slowed down and the health and welfare of people took priority. Yet, just like our failure to cure the common cold, we cannot seem to find a way to treat women fairly in the labour force. For years, advocates have been calling for equal rights for women in the workplace, and while some change has occurred, it has been slow. The changes required are not being acted on with any urgency or certainty.
Women need resources to move ahead, and these resources are education, stable and affordable housing options, child care and family support, mental health support and decent work opportunities.
It is a vicious cycle that leaves women struggling, particular when a woman:
- Does not make a sustainable income;
- Does not have the education required to enter professions with sustainable incomes such as welders, nurses, plumbers and web developers;
- Cannot secure affordable child care;
- Cannot obtain affordable housing;
- Must care for elder or other family members;
- Is overwhelmed by her responsibilities and suffers mental health challenges;
- Experiences violence but has no financial means to leave.
I have seen all of these obstacles, individual and combined, hinder a woman from achieving the potential she holds deep inside. At YWCA Toronto, we help women, girls and gender diverse people overcome these obstacles, but our support can only go so far. We need more help from government, employers and labour organizations to make it possible for women to enter the labour force and make a meaningful wage while combating the other obstacles in her life.
You might find yourself asking “What is holding women back? Why are women significantly underrepresented in well-paying jobs and finding it difficult to create the change they need?” I can tell you as a woman overseeing employment training programs at YWCA Toronto, I have seen the extraordinary efforts of women lifting themselves up from poverty and their struggles to build a better life for themselves and their families. However, that determination and will sometimes is just not enough.
COVID-19 has taught us that change can happen in aspects of life we never thought possible. What is stopping us as a society from offering women the tools and supports to better themselves? I cannot imagine anything better than having a labour force of women ready and willing to tackle all the opportunities that will emerge from the pandemic.
Working with women in the Skilled Trades and Technology programs has taught me that industries are always looking for skilled talent. The trades sector needs to replace those retiring and needs more people to build a labour force to meet demands over the next 10 years. The Ontario government has made an effort to provide certain groups, including women, with free training programs. This is a wonderful step, but we lack the supports to allow women to step into these opportunities.
I would recommend that we start with basics: Offer affordable and stable housing, accessible and inclusive post-secondary education, and universal child care. Women also need access to mental health supports and employment that offers the wage and flexibility to manage responsibilities at home. The changes and flexibility I have seen over the past 18 months of the pandemic proves we can step away from the norm – that money and resources do exist to change the way we operate in the world.
Women have so much to offer the workforce, the impact of their participation would be a benefit to all. We just have to be willing to take a chance and support them where they need it most and where it has been needed for years.
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Barbara Hills is the Manager of Trades and Technology for Employment and Training and has been with YWCA Toronto for five years. She helps women and gender diverse individuals overcome employment barriers. Barbara is a graduate from the Assaulted Women's and Children's Counsellor/Advocate program at George Brown College. Her passion for justice began volunteering in downtown Toronto and assisting women and gender diverse individuals at a safe house in Regent Park.
(Image by Christina@wocintechchat.com)