REAL WOMEN OF CANADA supports without exception, the concept that women must have equal opportunity in employment.  Thus, all positions must be advertised and opened equally to both men and women.

      REAL WOMEN, however, is opposed to the concept of enforced affirmative action which includes female ìquotasî.  These in fact become job ceilings for women, preventing them from obtaining jobs once the quota is filled.  To give women this ìpreferentialî treatment on the basis only of their sex, is unfair, and is reverse discrimination against qualified males as well as minority groups such as ethnics and native people.

     It is an undeniable fact that males now occupy the vast majority of high-paying positions.  This, however, is not necessarily evidence of sexual discrimination.  Rather, this may well be a reflection of the fact that women, until recent years, either have not been trained for, or have not participated on any large scale in the job market.  Today women are changing career goals, working more on a full-time basis, and entering educational and post-graduate programmes to gain new skills.  More and more, they are working in occupations that have been traditionally held by males.

     With the number of women in the workforce rapidly increasing, the number of women appointed to high paying, supervisory and executive positions is increasing.  Women are now protected from discrimination in employment on the basis of sex by Human Rights Codes.  Increasingly, more qualified women, if they so choose, will attain better positions.

     In summary, it is the position of REAL WOMEN OF CANADA that appointments should be made on the basis of merit, that is qualifications and endeavours and not on the basis of gender.  In short, appointments should be made on the basis of the best qualified person for the position, regardless of their gender.