SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A consultant for the GNWT is accusing the territorial government of underpaying her based on her gender.

Juanita Robinson took her case to the NWT Human Rights Commission and her two-week hearing is scheduled to adjourn today until June.

Robinson, who worked from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment from 2000 to 2006, filed a written human rights complaint on May 9, 2006, stating, "Apart from meetings with my own staff, (I'm) usually the lowest-paid person in the room, and yet in some cases (I'm) chairing the meeting. (This) is a constant embarrassing and humiliating reminder of how little my contribution is valued."

At the time of the complaint, Robinson earned a salary of approximately $88,000 per year, she said.

The first phase of Robinson's human rights hearing began March 7 and was adjourned on March 18. The hearing was heard by James Posynick of the NWT Human Rights Adjudication Panel on the third floor of the East Yk Centre in downtown Yellowknife.

The complaint further alleges that GNWT discriminated against Robinson "by paying me a rate of pay less than the rate paid to other employees on the basis of my sex."

During cross-examination from the GNWT's lawyer, Karen Lajoie, on Monday, Robinson identified two deputy ministers in the department that she said are at the heart of the complaint - former deputy minister and current ITI Minister Bob McLeod, and his successor, Peter Vician.

Lajoie told Yellowknifer on Wednesday the GNWT expected to call nine witnesses in total, and anticipates calling Vician when the case resumes in June, but she said she doesn't anticipate calling McLeod to testify.

The complaint states that Robinson was appointed as industrial benefits consultant with ITI in April 1997.

In the fall of 1999, she raised the issue that given her job duties, it would be more appropriate for her to be compensated at the director level. She accepted a 15-month transfer to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment as the director for policy and planning in September 2002.

During her absence, she alleges her previous position was filled by a male senior manager that was being paid $35,000 per year more than she was at the director's level; however, when she returned to her previous position in January 2004, she was denied her repeated request to be compensated at the director's level.

Robinson, who is still employed with the department as a consultant for industrial initiatives, is seeking an adjustment to pensionable earnings, pension contributions and other entitlements to fairly reflect the "value of my position and expectations placed on it" compared to three peer positions with ITI.

She's also seeking compensation for humiliation, "irreparable damage to career opportunities," and "legal or other expenses I incur as a result of this complaint."

Robinson declined Yellowknifer's request to be interviewed for this article.

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