Mr. Speaker, they worked hard all their lives. They rose at six o'clock seven days a week. They were expected to multitask and master many jobs: cooking, sewing, housekeeping and even knitting to keep their family members warm. They had no free time because they also had to raise children.
Make no mistake, they certainly worked very hard. There were even courses and manuals to help them learn the job. The Good Wife's Guide was their duty and their reality.
I am sure my colleagues have guessed that I am talking about our mothers and grandmothers. What has happened to these women, most of them widows and empty-nesters? They are in long-term care homes or little furnished one-bedroom apartments. They never got paid, so they had no money saved up. They worked hard but were not paid accordingly. Judging from everyone here today, they did a great job, but now they are not entitled to a fair retirement income. After all, let's not forget that their husbands were the ones with the “real” jobs.
Esteemed colleagues, today we must think of those women. Together, we must commit to treating them better in return for everything they gave us.