Checking-in: The confidence gap, prostitution law, Major Marcus Brauer, and Syria's civil war
The Confidence Gap:
Earlier this week, we were joined by a pair of TV journalists, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. They're the authors of a new book titled The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance-- What Women Should Know.
They say that even while women may be gaining professional equality with men, there are still many collisions with the glass ceiling, because women remain less confident then men.
That interview prompted a lot of feedback, including this Facebook post, from another TV journalist, Mardi Camille:...I have often tried to explain what it is like to be a woman in what previously was a mostly male workplace. I worked my way up the ladder and eventually became a Director, all the while daily negotiating how my confidence and strength would be tolerated by my coworkers.
And Brenda Skinner in Madoc, Ontario sent this:
Wow, did the observation of feeling like a fraud ever take me back to my working life! Even though I was great - acknowledged by everyone - at what I did, I still felt like my colleagues could see right through me.
Hassan Yussuff:
Last week, we heard from Hassan Yussuff, who has just been elected president of the Canadian Labour Congress.
I just think that we have to be far more aggressive with both employers and government who are systematically pushing us back in many different ways.
Mr. Yussuff promises to take his federation of unions --which represents more than 3 million Canadian workers-- in a more aggressive direction when dealing with public and private sector employers.
We heard from many of you following that interview, including Jordan Thompson in Edmonton, who wrote:
...When Anna Maria pressed him on why the media has failed to cover stories on unions, Yussuff kept the kid gloves on and only politely stated that media was biased. I hope listeners appreciate how deeply controlled mainstream media has become by corporate interests, which in turn has swayed public perception.
David Drane in Whitby Ontario wrote:
While working with unions for over 25 years as a C.E.O., and HR consultant, I know that it is unfair to characterize all unions as either good or bad ... For example, I believe that both McDonalds and Walmart should be forced to unionize but teachers should be forced to either change their tactics or decertify...
Bruce Aitken in Vancouver wrote:
Mr. Yussuff's defence of the union movement is stuck in the past. Had he mentioned words such as accountability, sustainability or productivity, perhaps we could have some confidence that the labour movement was ready to make a positive contribution to the betterment of society.
Syria:
Believe it or not, advanced polling is underway in many countries for a presidential vote in Syria. The civil war in Syria continues to rage, with cities, communities, and children as the constant victims.
Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent. She's been reporting in Syria a lot since the war began.
Going into the fourth year of this war...so many people on all sides of this conflict are saying...we never knew it would last so long, and cost so much.
The Nordic Model:
There are some big changes on the way for Canada's prostitution laws. Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay has been drafting new legislation since the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the laws on the books last year. This week we took a look at what the new laws might look like.Conservative MP Joy Smith, described what's known as the Nordic Model of prostitution laws, which punish the buyers of sex, not the sellers.
We need to go after the johns and the pimps big time. We also need to provide programming for exit systems, for those who have been trafficked, for those who are in the prostitute field...it gives them a way out.Joy Smith
We also heard from criminologist Chris Bruckert. She argued that the Nordic Model merely drives the sex trade underground, making it more dangerous.
On Facebook, Dasha Fox-Morrison weighed in:
"Persecuting johns is not going to help anything. Supporting sex workers as legitimate workers, facilitating exit strategies where they wish to leave the industry, and reducing stigma is what we need.
And Celia Nord in Chase, BC wrote:
I have been an advocate for and supporter of the Nordic Model for several years. Prostitution IS inherently violent. Only a small percentage of prostituted persons claim to be in the sex trade by choice.
Major Marcus Brauer:
Major Marcus Brauer is a father of five who has been in the Canadian Forces for more than 20 years. Back in February of 2013, he joined us to talk about a financial battle he's been fighting, ever since making a mandatory move across the country, in which he lost tens of thousands of dollars on the sale of his home.
...We continue to live as frugally as possible while trying to maintain some quality of life for our children.Major Marcus Brauer
The Canadian Military has a program to offset the price of relocating from one housing market to another, but Marcus Brauer said it failed him, and he took his case to court. This week, a judge sided with him, sending his case back to Treasury Board for review.
We reached Marcus Brauer this morning from Wainwright, Alberta for an update on his situation.
Do you have thoughts you want to share on any of these stories?
Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. Or e-mail us through our website. Find us on Facebook. Call us toll-free at 1 877 287 7366. And as always if you missed anything on The Current, grab a podcast.