Wal-Mart case highlights status of women in workplace

Wednesday, 30 March 2011 19:40

The recent class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart gives a snapshot of how women are fairing in the workplace. The Supreme Court is considering a class-action lawsuit from more than one million women claiming sex discrimination. The American Association of University Women Educational Foundation stated, "even after controlling for hours, occupation, parenthood, and other factors known to affect earnings, the research indicates that one-quarter of the pay gap remains unexplained and is likely due to sex discrimination." There can be no doubt that gender, as well as racial discrimination occurs in the American workplace. This has been an established fact for quite some time now. This issue is compounded for women who along with children make up the bulk of the poor in the world. Shortchanging women of their due wages creates a ripple effect on many single-parent families; a majority of which are black, Latino, and poor white populations.

Islam forbids any type of work place discrimination. The worker shall be informed of: the type of work, the period of work, and the wage and the effort. 

Additionally, it is stipulated that property paid in return for hiring should be known by such witness and description so as to remove any uncertainty about it. This is because it is reported by Ibn Mas’oud that the Prophet (saw) said: “If any one of you employed a worker then he has to inform him of his wage.” The Prophet (saw) also said: “Whosoever hired a person he has to inform him about his wage.” And this wage that the worker gets is based on the benefit that he/she provides to the individual or community. Therefore, the wages that the worker gets from his/her efforts are not based on their gender, race, town, political ties or social organization. Islam treats the human being as a member of humanity, a member who is entitled to certain rights. And among these rights is a fair wage for his/her efforts.

In spite of all the talk of liberty, justice and equality, the American workplace is a tyrannical environment where injustice is assumed. It is well-known that it is not what you know but who you know that counts. The Islamic State carries the creed of Islam, which dictates workers rights and responsibilities. It is the solution to not only the woman’s plight in the workplace, but all workers and employers problems.

أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ

“It is We who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, and We raised some of them above others in ranks so that some may employ others in their work....” [Az-Zukhruf: 32]