Although setting gender goals can be well-intended and may satisfy political considerations, the reality is that whenever quotas are established it can create discriminatory hiring conditions which can also lead to other problems. While many fire departments have programs to engage more female firefighters, they still represent less than 4% of that work group. On the other side of the coin, males represent about 6% of the nursing population. Finding the right female-male balance in any organization should not be based on a pre-determined outcome. A 50-50 balance in professions that have tended to attract one sex over the other is a noble objective as long as it ultimately improves the overall performance of the organization, is achieved without favouritism and is based on a genuine demand for the work.
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Monday, October 20, 2014
RCMP Gender Goals
The Ottawa Citizen is
reporting that the RCMP has established a 50% target for female representation.
The RCMP currently has a female membership of approximately 21% and is aiming
for 30% by 2025. As it took 40 years to achieve 21%, prorating those numbers
suggests it could take another 55 years to reach 50%.
Although setting gender goals can be well-intended and may satisfy political considerations, the reality is that whenever quotas are established it can create discriminatory hiring conditions which can also lead to other problems. While many fire departments have programs to engage more female firefighters, they still represent less than 4% of that work group. On the other side of the coin, males represent about 6% of the nursing population. Finding the right female-male balance in any organization should not be based on a pre-determined outcome. A 50-50 balance in professions that have tended to attract one sex over the other is a noble objective as long as it ultimately improves the overall performance of the organization, is achieved without favouritism and is based on a genuine demand for the work.
Although setting gender goals can be well-intended and may satisfy political considerations, the reality is that whenever quotas are established it can create discriminatory hiring conditions which can also lead to other problems. While many fire departments have programs to engage more female firefighters, they still represent less than 4% of that work group. On the other side of the coin, males represent about 6% of the nursing population. Finding the right female-male balance in any organization should not be based on a pre-determined outcome. A 50-50 balance in professions that have tended to attract one sex over the other is a noble objective as long as it ultimately improves the overall performance of the organization, is achieved without favouritism and is based on a genuine demand for the work.
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