HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-08-29, Page 22Pag—CroS1roads Aug
CONSIDER THE
WORKING WOMAN
This Labor Day seems to
be a good moment to con-
sider the difficulties
besetting working women
because, despite the
revolution in their status, too -
few people now appreciate
their problems.
The disintegration of
sexual stereotypes in
Canada began during the
war when women joined the
work force in droves, but
that appeared to be only a
temporary phenomenon.
Nevertheless, during the
1950s and 1960s, female
participation in the labor
force continued to rise, and
at the present time more
/Jomen than ever work at
employment. Even
marriage does not seem to
• interrupt .this trend as more
than half of wives work
outside their homes. The so-
called housewife who does
not have an outside job is the
Canada's
Business
by Bruce Whitestone
exception rather than the
rule, the exact opposite of •
the pre-war situation.
Completing the destruc-
tion of traditional rules,
women are breaking into
careers from which they
were excluded only a
generation ago. This is all to
the good even though oc-
casionally it is carried to
ridiculous extremes.
Recently, in the United
States, women reporters
argued successfully that
they should be allowed into
men's locker rooms to in-
terview professional play-
ers. Women, in unprecedent-
ed numbers, are entering the
legal and medical profes-
sihns; female architects and
veterinarians no longer are
rare exceptions, and the.
issue of the ordination of
women is an important ques-
tion for several religious
denominations.
Notwithstanding all these
changes, women have made
Craft Talk
little apparent progress in
narrowing the difference
between their median in-
comes and comparable male
figures. On average, women
earn only slightly more than
half as much as men. This
could prove that discrimin-
ation continues; most of us
know of cases where women
receive less than equal pay
for equal work. It must be
recognized, however, that
there are many factors
. which are responsible for
this gap. For instance, only
80 percent of women, com-
pared to 95 percent of men,
work 40 hours a week or
more. Furthermore, when
women leave the work force,
usually for child raising,
they lose experience, train-
ing, and contacts. Economist
Jacob Mincer of Columbia
University estimates that an
absence of two years results
to a permanent 10 percent
decline id their pay.
Women, in general, want
flexible hours and have •
lower career demands and
that limits their selection of
jobs. For the 20 per cent of
women who want to work
only a few hours per week,
the part-time feature is of
primary importance; less
significant than self-
fulfillment or long-range
opportunity. Then too, for all
the talk about sharing,
women still have the major
share of responsibility for
child-rearing and home-
making. If a child is ill,
it usually is the mother who
stays at home. If the
husband is moved to another
city, by convention the wife
must go along and her job,
therefore, assumes secon-
dary importance, even
though that may be
manifestly unfair.
No matter what is said, a
woman must choose between
the priority of her family and
personal job satisfaction. In
a recent survey of women
executives earning an an-
nual average of $92,090,
about half were unmarried,
but 95 per cent of men in that
salary range were married.
As well, it is obvious that
increased economic in-
dependence and more work
in offices, shops, and fac-
tories are contributing
y
factor& .in the huge tncrease
in the divorce rate.
No one can determine
what will Nippon to women
who must juggle, their lives
between jobs and home-
making. Now, with most
women working ' outside
their homes, they may be
more interesting as wives
and parents, but, of course,
they could be less attentive
or forebearing. In an almost
cyclical pattern, women in
the past have worked outside
of their homes; however,
most returned because they
found gr±epler sa Wa04on at`
borne.
Perhaps: all that can- be
'said • is tha „ vie . of the
dual responsibilities of
working 5Wernen, many will
opt for part-time work, and,
consequently, less pay. Too,
decentralization, a coming
development, may permit
women and men to work
near their homes as farm
women did throughout
recorded history. Then
family ties could again
assume primary importance
for both partners. •
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(in the rear of the LTL building)
291-1119
BECOME
By Louisa Rush
Two letters this week from
readers with suggestions for
making coathanger . covers
as bazaar items. The one
idea is for stuffed or padded
hangers.
Mrs. Baines of Alberta
writes, "As you know stuffed,
coat hangers will prevent
shoulder lines from forming
in garments and help to
prevent wide or lbw neck
dresses from slipping off".
"Wrap the clear plastic
bags from the cleaners
around the wire coat hanger
until surface is smooth and
plump. Lay stuffed hanger
on a piece of folded,
washable colourfast
material and cut around
leaving 11/2 inches for seam
at the bottom.
"With right sides of
material together machine
the sloping shoulder edges,
turn right side out and insert
stuffed hanger. Turn in and
sew the bottom edge. Wind
matching ribbon or material
around the hook part."
Mrs. Goodall of Ontario
gives this suggestion which
requires about one ounce of
FACTORY
OUTLETS
Quilting 1 97
Prints yd.
Quilt V°
Batting . yd.
Felon .. .N50 yd.
Fibre 100
Fill Ib.
LENS MILL STORES
130 Moore St.
WATERLOO
45 Cross St.
GUELPH
4 -ply knitting worsted and a
size ,G or 6 Susan Bates
crochet hook. Chain ten
rather loosely. First row —'
single crochet into .second
stitch from hook, chain two,
single crochet into same
stitch, .shell made, (miss one
stitch, into next stitch, single
crochet, two chain and single
crochet) repeat directions in
brackets across row making
five shells, chain one and
turn.
Second row — (Shell into
centre of first shell of
previous row). Repeat
directions in brackets across
row, chain one turn. Con-
tinue to repeat second row
until piece measures about
14 inches. Hanger cover
should not be as long as the
hanger in order to have a
snug fit. •
Cover hanger with one
thickness of material of
matching or contrasting
colour. Find centre of
crochet cover and pull over
hook, then neatly sew cover
from each end of wooden
hanger to the centre.
0 0 .0
This week's pattern is for
very attractive crochet place
mats. Simple and quick to do
in two colors or all one solid
shade. Two would make as
ideal shower gift for a future
bride — four would make a
lovely wedding gift!
To order this week's
pattern No 7870, send 75
cents plus a stamped self
addressed return envelope.
If you do not have a stamp or
envelope, please enclose an
extra 50 cents to cover the
cost of handling and print
your name and address.
Send to: Louisa Rush, "Craft
Talk", 486 Montford Drive,
Dollard des Ormeaux, P.Q.,
I -19G 1516. Plea4 be sure to
state 'pattern numbers
correctly when ordering and
to enclose your stamped
return envelope for faster
Service.
ONE LITRE
TH/ ROUNDUP
UCKGRASS�OR ATRAZINERE* FALL IS
MORE
Quackgrass is a costly thief. It robs your land
and your yield.
Plowing only compounds the problem by
chopping up the quackgrass roots and spreading the
nodes around. This causes the quackgrass problem
to get progressively worse. A small patch soon
becomes an entire infested field. That can end up
costing you in less productive land and lower
crop yields.
Roundup' is the affordable, effective solution.
Roundup at one litresperacre* (2.5L/ha) this fall
will effectively control quackgrass through to
next year's harvest. It works on those nodes and
rhizomes so it really gets to the root of your problem.
And, -unlike atrazine, Roundup leaves your
cropping options open. You're free to rotate to
the most profitable or most necessary crops.
So, with gains of more productive land, choice
of best crop, and increased yields, how can you
afford not to use Roundup?
*2.5L of Roundup per hectare in 50 to I00L clear water per hectare.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS.
'Roundup7' is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company.
Monsanto Canada Int., registered user.VMonsanto Company. 1984. R•FET2-84
Monsanto
AFFORDABLE w EFFECTM