Janet Austin is so smart. When recently asked why women can’t seem to get ahead she said that there are lots of great and well-educated women out there. But they are under-employed. In her opinion (which I share) we we create conditions that make it difficult (I say impossible) for these women to use their education and brilliance. As she says (and I agree) one significant factor that keeps women out of paid-work is the fact that we have no universal high-quality affordable child care system, like in Quebec. As I say, when the cost of my nanny is more than my take-home pay its hard to rationalize staying in a paid career. [Source: Vancouver Sun 12 December 12]