Changing hours won’t help cause

A lot of hard-working Island woman may be scratching their heads this week upon hearing the news out of the provincial legislature about the elimination of evening sitting hours.

On Wednesday, the members of the house voted 18-8 in favour of a recommendation from the standing committee on rules, regulations, private bills and privileges. The committee suggested doing away with evening sittings of the legislature on Tuesdays and Thursdays, opting instead to extend the sitting hours during the daytime on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

The change comes from a 2009 report of the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government to find ways to encourage greater representation of women in government in P.E.I.

A noble and necessary cause. There are far too many barriers facing women who may be considering entering the male-dominated political game, but the suggestion those evening hours are a significant reason is a stretch.

We hope MLAs don’t think this is the only step needed to entice more women into politics.

There are currently hundreds, more likely thousands, of Island women who work evenings every day. They deserve equality in pay, benefits and respect. The barriers placed in front of women need to come down across the board, not just in politics, but if anyone is suggesting a woman cannot or should not have to work evenings, they are working against the movement of equality. We’d hate to think those hiring at any job would potentially pass over a qualified woman because she may be seen as belonging in the home looking after their families in the evening, unable to produce when needed. It’s utter nonsense.

If the provincial legislature doesn’t want to have evening sittings because they are unproductive and outdated, that’s wonderful. If they want to do away with the practice because it is unfair to rural MLAs because of travel afterwards, so be it. But don’t place responsibility for the change at the feet of women.

Parents of both genders are responsible for their families, not just women. This move by MLAs who make a minimum of $75,000 a year and only have to sit two evenings a week for about eight to 12 weeks a year is an insult to women everywhere.

Just imagine what doctors, nurses, clerks, farmers, servers and fishplant workers who are women are thinking about this. There are many women in other professions who spend many more evenings at work than MLAs. What about the legislature’s own female staff?

Is this a matter of inclusion or privilege?

Yes, evening work is an inconvenience — for both sexes — but as far as a barrier, there are many worse obstacles standing in the way of making the legislature a more diverse place.

We need to support women, not make them scapegoats. Let’s focus our energies on bringing down real barriers preventing women from entering politics, not the things no one likes regardless of gender.