Fighting for equal pay

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This article was published 17/06/2019 (2314 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local women’s organization is emboldening workers to advocate for themselves in pursuit of wage parity.

“Most of the time, we believe women in particular are not being given equal pay as per what everybody is entitled to,” said Kenny Daodu, president of the Congress of Black Women of Manitoba. “It may be because of the language barrier, it could be because of our self-esteem; sometimes we believe we’re not capable of handling a job.”  

On June 22, the Congress of Black Women of Manitoba is holding a workshop on wage parity at Soul Sanctuary (2050 Chevrier Blvd.) to offer support and solutions for women interested in learning more about their rights in the workplace and how they can work to close the wage gap.

According to Statistics Canada, pay inequality between women and men persists, and data from the Labour Force Survey indicated that women in Canada, 15 and older, earned 87 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2017.

This is the 10th edition of what the congress calls a cultural awareness workshop and features panelists Molly McCracken, Manitoba director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; Temilola Farinloye, a local lawyer and barrister; Laura Marrast; Oyinda Alaka; and moderator Selina Bieber.  

“It’s a cross-cultural workshop that will allow us to know how far we have come in Manitoba, especially in the black community,” Daodu said. “We’ll examine the diverse perception of wage parity, progression among the diverse immigrant population, and we also want to enjoy fellowship and entertainment there.

“It’s to inform, to empower, and inspire us to know that we’re still somebody, we still have to believe in ourselves.”

Daodu said through the workshop the congress also hopes to increase the participation of immigrants and newcomers to the province and promote cross-cultural relations in the black community. The day will also feature a catered lunch, group discussion, video presentations, and cultural entertainment by the Ariya Afrika Cultural Group.

The event is open to all people interested in the topic.

“We are open, we want to learn, we want to expose ourselves to learning more about how we can deal with things that are happening, and that we feel comfortable going to work with the same pay,” she said.

The congress, which was established in 1981, has held events annually to educate community members on their rights as black women, Daodu said. Family programs and community building events are a big part of the congress’ work, along with offering scholarships on an annual basis for women pursuing post-secondary education. The congress also organizes an annual kwanzaa celebration to unite the black community, Daodu said.

Participation in the workshop is $50 or $25 for students. For more information on the event go to cobwmanitoba.com