African American Women: Equal Pay For Equal Work

Even though there is an Elimination Act of all forms of discrimination against women in 1979 the United States still continue to bridge a gap in wages. When you look at the wage gap you can clearly see the difference in gender and it is much worse for people of color. The wage gap is not just a gender issue it also affects racial minorities. Asian American women experience the smallest gender pay gap. The Hispanic and Latina women had the largest gap with 54 percent of what the white men were paid in 2013. The gender pay gap for American Indian and Alaska Native women has went down to 60 and 59 percent in 2013. As for African American women they are paid 64 percent of what white men were paid in 2013 and white women were paid 78 percent of what white men were paid ( Catherine, H). Over the years the wage gap is in fact improving but only by a small percentage. In 2012 the wage gap was 77% and in 2013 the

That fact that was said before, “Women are earning 80% of what men are for doing the same job and working just as hard”, that was just Caucasian women. Other women of different ethnicities and races are earning even less. So, not only is the gender pay gap sexist, it’s racist as well. African American women are being paid 63% of what men are, American Indian and Alaska Natives are being paid 59%, and Hispanic or Latino women are being paid 54%. This is not okay. It’s bad enough that some women are being 80%, but some women are being paid 54% of what men are which is just outrageous. People argue that the reason some of these ethnicities get payed so little is because they have less education. They also argue that these women usually tend

“Join the union, girls, and together say Equal Pay for Equal Work” -Susan B. Anthony. Countless women, even here in the U.S. have some sort of the wage gap. The wage gap is the difference between the median earnings of women relative to median earnings of men. In this case, women earn a significant amount less than men. Although the wage gap has gotten smaller over the years, the wage gap still has a long way to go. Women deserve better than just minimum earnings. Full time, working women should obtain the best promotions and benefits. Women that work just as tough and have the equivalent qualifications as men do still earn less, and that is just unacceptable. The wage gap should be abolished on behalf of women of color and their struggle, equal pay is a global problem, equal pay benefits employers and workers, and the wage gap accumulates over time.

Maternity leave is a retreat that all mothers should have the opportunity to experience after childbirth. The birth of a child can be exciting, exhausting, and challenging for all new mothers experiencing the joys of parenthood. Unfortunately for some working mothers living in the United States, maternity leave is not always guaranteed. The United States is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave. An idea so common in other countries is considered a luxury benefit for hard-working mothers in the United States.

Women have made significant strides in society, proving themselves to be as capable as men in the workforce. However, while women are making equal contributions, men and women are not earning equal wages. Even though the Equal Pay Act was established in 1963, women continue to earn lower wages than men over half a century later. This inequality not only affects women as individuals but has a detrimental effect on the national economy. The gender wage gap in the United States should end because it is unjust; correcting it would have social and economic benefits for the U.S.

Pregnancy and early child development is a fundamental aspect of human society, and is pertinent to the development of a successfully functioning community. The developmental and social progress of any civilization relies on children, as they will compose the future working population. Therefore, a mother or father’s involvement in the child’s development is of extreme importance, which is why family leave has been implemented all over the world. Family leave refers to the period of time granted to the employee to care for their newborn child. As communities evolve economically, financial stability is necessary, for what is perceived to be socially successful for a child’s development, which is why paid family leave is popular throughout the world’s nations. However, ABC News reports that “the U.S. is only one of three countries in the world that don't offer paid maternity leave” (Kim, 2015); the same is true for paternity leave. The United States government has an interesting track record dealing with family leave, but in order to analyze what the US government and advocacy groups have done to solve this issue, there first needs to be an understanding on why this issue is so difficult to resolve. The arguments that support and oppose paid family leave in the United States are equally valid, therefore causing a stalemate in the attempted policy making of legislative bodies.

Although many people are now bringing up a pay gap between genders, there is something being over looked that proves there isn’t a pay gap, but something else. The Gender Income Gap is a supposed payment gap between men and women, stating that to every man’s dollar a woman only gets payed seventy cents. Statements like theses can grab people’s attention and get them to believe this without much proof of it actually existing. Most people get there information about the gap from surveys over all women and men average pay, this is not a good representation of the topic because it doesn’t go into any detail of actual jobs and difference of pay. There are many other factors that going into the pay gap that would make it into something else not necessarily a pay gap. There are several solutions for this problem most of them aren’t necessarily for equality but for the gain of one sex at the cost of the rights of another. The one I will be talking about later doesn’t need government intervention and doesn’t need for one sex to do more. This solution will come from “changes in the labor market, especially how jobs are structured and remunerated to enhance temporal flexibility.”1

Statistics show that in almost half of the families in the United States, both parents work full time, and the mothers are the primary breadwinner in 40% of these households (Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns 399). This means that most families are frustrated during the maternity leave. The situation is worse when it comes to the homes that depend on the mother as the sole breadwinner. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention women who received three months or more paid maternity leave had a higher probability of breastfeeding their babies for no less than six months than those who did not get any paid leave. Remember that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that mothers should breastfeed their newborn babies for at least six months after birth. This enhances the health of both the mother and her kid. Nevertheless, how will expectant single mothers survive without paid leave? The chances are that those who cannot save enough for delivery and upkeep of a child will avoid pregnancy or delivery, and this can be achieved through the use of contraceptives and abortion. However, these aspects can hamper America’s population. Henceforth, the United States government has to develop and back a maternity leave payment policy. In spite of significant transformations, the U.S. is the only developed nation with no paid maternity leaves, according to data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The minimum amount of paid leave allowable in fellow developed nations is approximately two months. Estonia offers the best maternity leave provision which entails one and half years paid leave to new parents. Thus, how come the U.S. with all its resources is not offering paid maternity leave? Besides, the U.S. financially supports most of the

Family dynamics have long changed since the 1950s and more and more Americans, new mothers in particular, are experiencing increased difficulties balancing work and family life. As you can imagine, motherhood is physically and mentally exhausting yet in the United States, new mothers are being deprived access to paid maternal leave, an incredibly sad reality. In the U.S. alone, 19 million women are the sole income earners of families with children. Around the world, countries have responded to the rise of women in the workforce by implementing job protected leave policies such as paid maternal leave to support mothers who must manage their jobs and pregnancy simultaneously. Infant care requires new mothers to take time off from work and paid

The United States has fallen behind the curve when it comes to paid leave for mothers. Only 8 countries in the world don’t offer wage replacement for maternity leave, and the United States is one of them. Additionally, we are the only high income country in the world to not supplement wages to mothers on leave. We have begun taking steps toward change. Several states such as California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, are passing laws that require business to offer supplemental wage benefits for several weeks after the birth or adoption of a child. Paid Maternity leave is important because it reduces financial strain on families, therefore increasing infant health. Paid maternity leave is looked upon negatively because paid leave can be connected to detrimental economic outcomes like an increase in taxes, but recent research in the United States has combated that statement.

When female employees become pregnant, one of their biggest concerns is likely how they are going to support themselves without pay for their time out. In fact, about 61% of nonworking women ages 25-34 said they weren’t working because of family responsibilities, which likely relates to the unpaid leave that is currently implemented in the U.S. (Gilpin). Although critics say it comes with potential economic concerns, employed women who take maternity leave should be paid due to the long-term consequences of its current policies.

In this world you have men and women. 2 different genders who aren't meant to be equal. Men are stronger and are supposed to bring home the money while women are supposed to stay at home and take care of the children. For some reason women these days want to be as equal as men, but why? We as humans were not meant to be one. We are 2 separate sexes. When it comes to the workplace women are the weaker sex, they take paternity leave, and go into lower paying jobs. Therefore women don't deserve equal pay.

In most cases the mother receives maternity leave or time she spends away from work but still earns a monthly salary. Women should never be penalized and earn a smaller paycheck for desiring to raise a child; it is natural and should never affect a salary. A concern for multiple people becomes single mothers and whether or not they are able to successfully provide for and raise a family on simply their own wages. In today’s economy, jobs are deficient as it is and without a second paycheck arriving, caring for a household by oneself can be a difficult task. Yet this concern must not come across as a large problem that needs addressed to everyone. Many powerful corporations maintain a wage gap without taking the time to educate themselves about how it causes hassle for their employees. Perhaps if the founders or managers at these companies would view their workers as a group of employees rather than males and females, the gap would become

Paid maternity leave is not a priority in the United States, because the focus is towards profit and growth within the company rather than motherhood. I believe the needs and priorities of women are not valued as it is with men. It’s not right that working-mothers have to loss the wages to care for their children. I see this as a form of gender inequality, where women must choose between being a mother or paying the bills. In the video The Problem: Women on Top, the United Kingdom focused on a gender balance work environment, which accounted for better decision making, higher sales, and higher returns on equity and invested capital. Other countries see the value women bring to the work force; therefore, they offer paid maternity leave to the working mothers.

In the United States, paid maternity leave is nonexistent. There are no federal laws mandating that employers give women paid time off before, during, or after pregnancy. Compared to other countries, the United States appears underdeveloped in maternity leave, and in general women’s rights because they receive significantly less benefits, and are facing unequal opportunities because of this. This inequality effects not only the woman, but the family and even the workplace as well. The United States should adopt federally mandated laws requiring employers paid maternity leave because of the benefits of the woman and child, the financial stability, and overall becoming more current on the world stage.