Austerity measures convey conservative ideas about how society functions, and thereby contribute to perpetuating social inequality. The majority of economic measures initiated by the government are directed towards sectors that are characterised by a large proportion of male workers, such as mining and construction. Women are the first to be affected by the reinforcement of these inequalities.
Even today, women tend to earn 76% of men's salary on average. Every school fee increase therefore disproportionately affects women, who make up the overwhelming majority of students heading single-parent families.
Women constitute the majority of domestic workers. They generally have the responsibility for caring after children and less independent family members. Every cut to public healthcare transfers a previously collective burden towards families, and women in particular, who must sacrifice time, money, and energy to compensate for the deficits created by austerity measures.
70% of part-time jobs are occupied by women. These jobs are often less stable, less glorified and more informal than those occupied by men, making women much more vulnerable to measures attacking labour such as the Harper government’s employment-insurance reform. Women also make up the majority of public service employees, which are the first to be affected by these cuts.