Making employment equity programs work for women

Women continue to be undervalued in employment, both in terms of the positions they occupy and the wages they receive. Employment Equity Programs (EEPs) were conceived to eradicate employment discrimination and organizations subject to the Employment Equity Act are mandated to adopt them. Their success, however, has been mixed. Although EEPs have resulted in some improvement in the status of women, their success has been overshadowed by complaints of unfairness and employee backlash. Essential measures to eliminate these negative perceptions and improve the effectiveness of EEPs are discussed.