So I’m back! I’m back early and in time for some Mother’s Day news.A study released yesterday found that if Canadian stay-at-home moms were waged, they would earn $126,593 a year. They came to this conclusion by surveying “18,000 mothers about their roles and responsibilities and cross-referenced these activities with job descriptions and salary scales.”
The CBC report on this study demonstrates that the purpose of the survey is to show that stay-at-home moms (and dads) really are working. What they do is work, even if it isn’t paid, and the hope of this annual survey is that their hard work will not go unnoticed.
So I read this news report and think HUZZAH! We spend money and resources researching some pretty stupid shit, so it’s about time we take a look at something important. Unpaid labour keeps the world turning and rarely gets acknowledged.
And if you’re in any way doubting the existence of gender inequality or the importance of these kinds of surveys, just read through the comments posted to this story on CBC. As of 9:30 this morning, there were 99 comments, which included zingers like this:
“My wife turns on the PC, clicks on the mouse, and reads her email messages. She is now receives credit as a computer operator. I actually have to jack up the family car, change the oil, change the oil filter, clean up afterwards in order to receive credit as a lubricant maintenance operator. If you do not want to do your chores or do not have the time, then hire someone to perform those tasks. Otherwise, quit complaining and just get on with your adult responsibilities.”
Paging this man’s wife: Seek a divorce. Pronto.
Or this lovely comment:
“Great study..so if i understand correct all those welfare stay at hope moms should be making the big bucs. I feel like such a retard ....why did i bother going to university and getting a BA...the real money is staying at home making babies! I m not saying that staying at home is an easy job just that studies like this dont make any sense what so ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Never minding this commenter’s impeccable grammar or the fact that their screen name is “kidneystone”, someone needs to contact this weiner's university. This person has a degree?!
And finally, commenter "TimBee" takes the cake with this winner:
“What hourly rate are they using for the sex they are letting their husbands have?”
And they wonder why I’m a feminist….
2 comments:
Good post, Jewel. I heard this on the radio and was similarly thinking of posting. I can rarely bring myself to read the comments on any news story with a slight gender angle, it's too depressing.
I heard about this on the radio and thought that it was a pretty cool study.
Though, those comments you posted kind of dashed my enthusiasum. As if these men got all up in arms about a study. Fer' Christsakes! It's not going to result in anything. It was just a study. And if it's any consolation, the study was gender neutral. Maybe if more men were staying home, they wouldn't feel the need to complain. Oh, and then lets pull out the welfare card.
Again, let me say: it was just a fucking study. They're NOT sitting on their asses pumping out babies so that they can actually get the money that's being suggested in the study, because well, IT'S A STUDY!
Say it with me: Theory...
Heaven's to Betsy.
*shakes head*
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