After WTC disaster
Women's lives valued less
By Sue Davis
Sexism after death?
Yes, the sexist double standard will be perpetuated even
after death if proposed guidelines for the federal compensation
fund covering those killed or injured in the Sept. 11 attacks
aren't changed.
Women injured will receive lower payments than men, since
women typically work fewer years than men, reported the South
Florida Sun Sentinel on Jan. 4. Lower payments will also be
made to the survivors of women killed on Sept. 11.
The guidelines are supposed to sound objective, reflecting
economic realities. But a panel of economists said the fund's
preliminary rules are based on outdated federal tables that
underestimate the current average length of a woman's work
life. And the plan doesn't factor in the value of housework
done by working women, which averages 25 hours a week compared
to 10 hours for men, noted John Ward, an economics professor at
the University of Missouri.
Of course, there are also other reasons the guidelines
should be changed. All survivors or injured, whether they are
firefighters or waitresses, should receive the same amount.
Compensation shouldn't depend on the victim's income level.
That is a measure, not of a person's worth as a human being or
how much they contribute to society, but of what the boss does
to maximize profits.
What else explains why women workers' salaries in 1997 were,
on average, 26 percent lower than what white men make? It's
only thanks to the struggle of working women that this gap has
declined from 41 percent in 1970.
Isn't this the appropriate time, given the spirit of
compassion and community that flowered among the people--if not
the bosses--in response to the Sept. 11 attack, to stop using
standards based on sexist, racist, homophobic and class
exploitation? Everyone who lost loved ones or who was injured
in the disaster should receive the same payment across the
board. Their loss hurts as deeply. Their tears are as salty.
Their bills must be paid.
Even though changing the rules in this case could be a good
public relations move by the capitalist politicians, the ruling
class is probably too greedy and rigid to let them do it. But
that only exposes how totally the system is slanted in the
bosses' favor. And how compelling is the need to fight for
social and economic change outside the bought-and-paid-for,
two-party political system.
Reprinted from the Feb. 7, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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Email: ww@workers.org
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