Welcome to our witnesses. Thank you for your comments.
I have so many questions that I almost do not know where to begin. You all stated that work on pay equity for women has been going on for decades. According to the statistics, even after decades of work in this area, women still earn between 48% and 71% of what men earn. That is cause for some concern.
Ms. Young talked about our international responsibility. Canada is often viewed as a model to emulate in light of its Constitution which is studied around the world. We should continue to set an example.
However, Ms. Young, you did observe that Canada was in fact not setting an example, given the changes to the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act. You were also wondering if, based in Ms. Abella's 1984 report, women are taken seriously in the workforce.
I'd like you to elaborate on that statement. Do you seriously believe that women are considered to be men's equals in the workforce?
I heard you say they're not taken as serious workers.