register the highest among boys; with low level of degree, and yet the boys are favoured for ... Such young women are seen as docile and cheap workers with nimble fingers. ... more active in Politics so as they feel at ease in this domain.
ID: 1213993
Date: 08 November 2013 “In spite of the fact that women perform better in terms of academic performances, they are not able to make it to the top the work setting”. Critically examine this statement in a specific sector of the Mauritian economy.
Girls and women have always outcome boys and men in the educational sector. In the struggle for the equal education for both sexes, the Mauritian society has been successively over years, seen a large number of girls specially, succeeding in studies and overdoing boys. This has been one of the Mauritian government outmost achievements. Yet, it is not to forget that the high rate passing of girls is comparable to the higher score of unemployment in the working field. Year in, year out, the number of unemployment among women is constantly increasing.
Unemployment of women do not start at the end of the schooling, it is a pre-structural concept that the state has forgot to look upon. Defining work in the Mauritian context, is supposedly based upon the educational achievement of students and despite the number of success among girls, they are the one lacking behind which is definitely a problem of the educational system. Many countries abroad and important personalities agreed that, Mauritius has indeed a splendid way of proceeding to innovations but many of the Cambridge reporters has approved that the educational system in Mauritius failed to build its youth for employment; for the economic respond of the country. Our educational sector fails to give us the pathway for work placement, and for girls it’s at its worst. Girls are segmented in the scheme at the beginning of the system itself. The failure rate in the CPE exams among girls is also high. These drop outs are left behind; there is no provision as such for them. The prevocational schools have much more courses avail for boys than girls. They are unable to compete in the outer market if they choose to go for embroidery or stitching courses. Therefore it makes a rate of unemployment of girls at early ages, without a qualification. As the educational sector is an elite one, the state focuses much more on those who have manage to achieve. The flaws go on in the secondary education, whereby girls are streamed
to opt for “girl’s subject” which makes them less competitive to boys and less demanding in the market. They are left to adopt jobs such as teacher or secretaries, which with time have become limited. The state thus decided to encourage tertiary education for girls so as to bridge the competition of men and women and bring a fairer platform. Indeed, girls have managed to get the high enrolment in the different institutions but failed to secure job space as quickly as boys. The Faculty of Social Science and Humanities enrol the highest number of girls’; with graduates of high level of degrees and the Faculty of Engineering register the highest among boys; with low level of degree, and yet the boys are favoured for market demand. Girls doing economics with law as course, having a one-one degree are less favoured as the same boy in that class, not having that same brilliant qualification. With the out success of female graduates in course such as Political sciences, Economics, Finance, or Engineers; they are not seen occupying important post in the work field of the society. It can be said, it is an ingrained culture of the society, that even though creating the range number of educated girls, it is patriarchy. Women are being pictured a glass ceiling system in Mauritius. Stereotypes still revolve in our society. Employers still lays emphasis on the physical, gendered aspect for job prospect. It is not on based of merits but on based of characteristics. Women are still seen as the weaker sex and the one who is tagged as ‘the wife, the mother, the child bearer and rear”, nevertheless of the status the latter might have. Stereotyping is performed in all institutions and is perpetuated as a culture.
In practical thinking, in the EPZ sector in Mauritius, whereby the large range of working women is found there, give the good picture of women at the least position of the ladder. The EPZ has been emerged to bring employment to a number of women of the society, yet they are being governed by a group of males, under several conditions, pressure, over nightly work or any form or sexual disturbance. EPZ’s companies that are engaged in low-skill, cheap-labour production, regard women as better able to perform monotonous, repetitive work. Such young women are seen as docile and cheap workers with nimble fingers. In response to this stereotype, they are put into lower-status jobs that do not reflect their educational level or experience. More importantly is the cheapness of female labour as compared to male labour as a
product of legislated differences in minimum wages between the sexes. Finally, women are preferred because employers view them as more docile or submissive to supervisory control, than male workers. Specifically, the key factor favouring the employment of women are the kinds of industry attracted to Mauritius, such as the clothing, textiles and electronics industries. Although the ILO’s (1998) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work obligates member states, “to respect, to promote and to realize in good faith workers’ rights,” yet it can be illustrated how these rights are routinely violated in Mauritius. The Mauritian EPZs is criticised for it’s the inability to provide employment and social protection that can be described as the ‘feminization of poverty’.
Women in Mauritius being circled by the patriarchal society, follow a system of ‘glass ceiling theory’. They are made to dream about having the opportunity to climb the ladder of success, yet they usually find themselves stick to the same post for several years. It is the same that repeats in the field of politics in Mauritius, with the new quota of one third representation of women in the local government or the educational institutions, whereby qualified female teaching staffs remain at the same post for years. Women are given hope to be able to finally participate in the some crucial decision makings, however it is not the case. The government of Mauritius ratifies the UN’s declarations but do not really apply it. There is no women’s touch in the decision making policies. The government has chosen to bring women to the political spheres, which is a good initiative. Along with it, he needs to do a plan to enhance women to be more active in Politics so as they feel at ease in this domain. Government need to lay emphasis on how, companies have to make provision for including women in the labour market and make appropriate requirements for their absence. Even men nowadays are given paternal leave, and maybe this is a beginning of equality. Companies need to adopt new ways of proceeding to both genders, to provide them work family life balance. The women and girls at the detriment of handicraft products need to be much supported. The opening of a market will not do much of the work. These types of businesses could be supported and financed by hotel as well as the government. For any functions held by the government to which, they need to provide gifts, these handicraft could be given. The government is a mass consumer and he is able to upgrade these businesses from this level. The hotel industries could provide their guest with
handicraft gifts. These investments would really enforce the possibility of these small businesses for better prospect.
Mauritius failed in terms of implementing the legislations to protect women. The country has indeed improved legislations in search of gender equality but not enough to ensure financial autonomy of women through decent work. For instance, the Domestic Violence Act of 1997 and the Sexual Discrimination Act of 2002 are important laws for the promotion of gender equality. The government operates through four units, which are the Women’s unit, Child Development unit, Family Welfare unit and the Planning and Research unit. These units operate in an integrated manner to ensure the proper expansion of that system. It is also affiliated with the Ministry of Finance and Economic development so as to understand and appreciate the importance of engendering budgets as well as shaping macroeconomic policy in a more gendered manner; or else women will continue to be left on the margins of society. Family friendly employment and social policies that are practical can make an important contribution to social protection, which is the essential objective of ‘decent work’. Expanding women’s economic opportunities means more and better jobs for women across a wider range of sectors. As stipulated by the United Nations Development Programme, eliminating gender inequality in employment is a direct means of promoting women’s economic opportunity and a major contributor to meeting sustainable development. In Mauritius gender gaps and discrimination exist in all labour markets at both national and local levels.
Despite employment in Mauritius being a tool for the empowerment of women, gender remains the line of fragmentation in the labour force. Evidence shows that women are far more circumscribed than men in their choice of work, and that horizontal segregation by sex is persistent in employment patterns. Vertical segregation by sex is also marked in both the public and private sectors of employment with women overwhelmingly concentrated at the lower levels of the occupation hierarchy in terms of wages, status and authority. Since women and their dependent children make up the majority of those living in poverty, initiatives that increase income-generating opportunities for women can be important factors in reducing
hunger and poverty levels, and can enhance women’s social and political status, thereby promoting the empowerment of women. All in all, the Mauritius government’s economic development plan must adapt to redress both inequality levels in employment and ‘decent work’ and ensure sustainable development is possible. The rapid economic decline in Mauritius calls for a more planned, coherent policy, where rights of workers will be fully respected. While it is true that rights and responsibilities follow from the other, the state has the responsibility to create an enabling environment for the true empowerment of women.
References: Bunwaree, Sheila, and Roukaya Kasenally. 2007. Rights and development in Mauritius – a Reader. Reduit: Ossrea Mauritius Chapter, University of Mauritius, Chant, Sylvia. 2008. “The ‘feminisation of poverty’ and the ‘feminisation of anti-poverty programmes: room for revision?”Journal of Development Studies http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/ifpdial/info/termination/countries/mauritius.htm United Nations Development Programme 2008 http://www.undg.org/archive_docs/1679-Mauritius_CCA_-_Mauritius_2000.pdf Ramtohul, Ramola. 2008. “Trade Liberalization and the Feminization of Poverty: the Mauritian Scenario.” EPZs and Lack of ‘Decent Work’ – The Feminisation of Poverty within Mauritius, By Siera Vercillo
