Government
employees fight for gender equality
The discrimination
against women has been made clear through a study on the functions of city
workers in the years before independence. Two such women who should be recognized
have come to my attention in the fight to increase the number of women working
in the civil service and to better their working circumstances so that they can
be treated equally with men.
Vera Crosskill Murphy and
Leila James Tomlinson are those people. They were both Wolmers. Vera Lucille
Crosskill, born in St. Ann in 1910, joined Wolmer's in 1920, while Leila
Frederika James, born in Kingston in 1894, joined somewhere about 1904.
The
Leila James case (Tomlinson)
In 1912, Leila James
became the first female Jamaica Scholar, enabling her to enroll in the
University of London. She received a BA with honors in 1915. The British
government service had started to hire women in substantial numbers during
World War I at this point.
James was hired
temporarily as a sub-examiner in the Department of Education upon his return to
Jamaica, a position typically held by a man. Some individuals disagreed with
her job. She stayed on at the Department of Education until March 1920 and
would have anticipated a promotion for her hard work. Instead, her position was
eliminated. The British Sex Discrimination Removal Act was enacted in 1919, it
should be noted.
A Commission of Enquiry
was created to investigate her termination. In February 1921, the commission
declared that she had been fired unfairly. She was not, however, put back in
her position. It was suggested that she get a year's pay and another job in the
military. That must have referred to a lesser position suitable for a woman.
The Gleaner reported on her case and deemed it unfair. It brought to light how
pervasive gender bias is in government. In 1921, Leila James departed Jamaica
and resigned. She was an educator who worked in Bermuda, Costa Rica, and
Africa. In 1941, Leila James Tomlinson came back to Jamaica to work for Jamaica
Welfare. She worked in social work and education for a very long time,
advocating the interest of women and families. She passed away in 1979 at age
82.
Vera
Crosskill (Murphy)
In 1929, Vera Lucille
Crosskill began working for the government as an interim clerk in the
Department of Agriculture. She changed jobs and became a female grade 1 clerk
in the Collector General's Department. Vera Crosskill joined the campaign to
raise the standing of women in the government of Jamaica. She most certainly
knew about the Leila James case.
Vera Crosskill led a
delegation to the Civil Service Commission in 1943 to request that the marriage
bar that prevented married women from working in the civil service be lifted
and that women in the civil service have their qualifications recognized, be
eligible for study leave, be considered for promotions, and receive equal pay
for equal work. With the assistance of the Jamaica Civil Service Association,
her advocacy bore fruit.
Vera Crosskill Murphy was
the highest-ranking woman in the Jamaican civil service when she was the first
female to be elevated to the position of island statistician at the Bureau of
Statistics in 1952. In 1950, she wed Vincent Hubert Murphy. The hurdle for
marriage had been removed. Additionally, as my post from the previous week
mentioned, three women started working as administrative assistants in the
administrative grades in 1953. (cadets).
Vera Murphy was chosen to
serve as the Pensions Authority's secretary in 1959. She participated in the
development of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), which was launched in 1965,
working for retirees across the entire island. After retiring in 1962, Mrs.
Murphy pursued a prosperous career in insurance.
She was active in theatre
and the Girl Guides throughout her childhood. Age 77, she passed away in Miami
in December 1987.
Vera Crosskill Murphy and
Leila James Tomlinson both garnered national recognition. Although there was
still work to be done, women's place in the civil service had improved by the
time of independence.