preview

Gender Wage Gap in America

Better Essays
Open Document

The Gender Wage Gap in America

The gender wage gap has been around since women began having jobs and careers. Though in the beginning the gender wage gap was purely do to discrimination by social stereotypes, now it has become more complicated than that. The issue today has evolved into a complex issue which combines our American culture with business economics. As a result, some are skeptical of the issue and some are very adamant in their beliefs. The issue encompasses not only gender stereo types but also educational, government policies and business’s best practices. Two thousand ten, forty-three years since the first law to fight the gender wage gap. The Equal Pay Act was initiated during the Kennedy administration. Since then, …show more content…

Katz and Andronici, attorneys specializing in woman’s rights issues, said in this case many businesses can hide behind the “she didn’t ask for more” law. This is an example where a business manages to take advantage of women for their skills. Sadly many businesses all over the United States get away with this injustice. According to Forbes.com, in the United States, 7 out the 10 top college majors for women are the Arts related. Women are encouraged from when they are children to be a teacher, nurse, even a psychologist. But rarely are they ever encouraged to be a doctor, engineers or scientist. It seems as though many people want the girls to be someone they are already predestined to be. In the business world, it’s all about being assertive. The people who get the highest ranks are the most assertive in their occupation, but for women there seems to be a “catch 22” in their assertiveness. Assertive women in the workplace are often viewed as rude or pushy, therefore making it harder for them to move up in the high ranks of the company. However, if a woman is not assertive enough then the business might think she is not committed to the job she is doing. There is also a “glass ceiling” put in place for many women. A “glass ceiling” is a goal that one would think can be achieved but really it is an unattainable goal due to policies or corporate culture. Many women feel the impact of the glass ceilings as they start climbing the business ladder.

Get Access