Last month, gender equality took a dramatic step backward in this country when the National government shitcanned two inquiries into pay equity in the public sector. An issue of fundamental equality - paying women the same as men for doing the same work - is being sidelined because it is "too expensive". Which speaks volumes about National's priorities.
Sadly, its not just New Zealand. According to the Guardian, the UK's Equalities and Human Rights Commission, the body tasked with shrinking the UK's growing gender pay gap, wants to end equal pay reviews and instead replace them with a voluntary approach (which has not worked and never will). Why? The recession, of course. As for those underpaid women who will be denied justice, or even information showing there is a problem, that's just tough shit. Shareholder profitability is apparently more important than fundamental equality - even to the government body tasked with promoting the latter.
