There are 3,418,059,380 women in the world (Geohive.com, 2015) and yet, women, in 2010, earned a staggering 19% lesser in wages across the world (Economist, 2011). Such wage differentials have been a cause of gender inequality and thereby segregation in the workforce across the globe.
The staggering numbers of economic contributions of women compared to men has however, highlighted that there are fewer women to men ratios in the workforce due to the where we live, maternal implications (pregnancies), upbringing and education. This is seen in the caricature of women in the rhetorical analysis in the work of Maria del Mar Alonso-Almeida in her article as she states that the job positions for women are harder to obtain due to the need of
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This means that women get roughly seventy-seven cents per dollar less than the average white man across the country (Casserly, 2015). Such pay gaps have seen an increase in poverty, injustice and social ills resulting in, but not limited to increased foster care, homelessness and increased participation in the adult industry. Gender inequality in employment levels across the globe is equally dramatic, in that in India only 27% of women are employed as compared to 44% in Greece (Easton, 2015). Ironically though the overall global workforce participation rate of women amounts to 55%, though it falls short of men who are at 82% employment levels. (Easton, 2015).
To highlight the impact and thereby importance of geographic location on equality and segregation of gender in the workforce, a poll of 187,119 people across 144 countries was conducted, which found that Ecuador for instance has a 23% gender gap in the workforce (Sunshine, 2015). An element re-occurring in the geographical issue, is maternity leave. This issue is raies on several continents and countries across the globe, and if not tackled head on, can decrease employment rates for women in the workforce. Another important segregation element that is universal in nature is maternity leave (Whitehouse, Hewitt, Martian & Baird, 2013). In saying this, the authors argue that inequalities in pay and entitlements are justified on the notion that women are not
Researchers have proposed a variety of explanations for systematic gender inequality in the workplace. Cultural benefits, the actions of male employees, the actions of the female employees, and the actions of the employer can contribute to intentional or unintentional gender discrimination (Ngo, Foley, Wong, & Loi, 2003). It has also been mentioned that women make less money because their work environment is generally safer than the stereotypical male work environment; childcare, cashiers, and secretary positions as opposed to firefighters, truck drivers and construction workers (Parcheta, Kaifi, & Khanfar, 2013). Perhaps the most dominant reasoning for women receiving less pay is the carrying over of biological roles into the workplace. Female employees often take time off to have a family, take care of a family, and are the primary caregiver of said family.
Unfortunately, it has been proven through a multitude of research that the average female makes about 79% of the amount that their male counterpart would make. Even after achieving the victory of making jobs for women a norm, women still struggle with the male advantage. As Susan B. Anthony continued in Suffrage and the Working Woman, “When she has attained ability to compete with them and to do just as well in every respect she is placed at work, if at all, on half pay” (Anthony). Although some argue that the gender pay gap is nothing but a myth, the statistical facts show otherwise. While those in positions of power and privilege attempt to thrust this issue out of the picture, it remains a large problem that no woman should be unaware of. Unequal pay is a common issue for plenty of women for far too long, and must be
In Pakistan only 25% of women are in the workforce while 86% of men are, not only are there less women in the workforce, but they also earn less since the male to female income ratio is 18%. That means that for every dollar a man makes a woman would only make 18 cents. The United States only has a income ratio of 80%, but there should not be a gap at all (Hess, 2014). The work is equal but women’s pay is less than men’s. According to the World Economic Forum as of 2016 the United States was 45th in the Global Gender Gap Index.
Today there are two countries in the world that do not currently guarantee paid maternity leave for employed new mothers and/or expecting mothers, those countries are the United States and Papua New Guinea, according to the International Labour Organization, an United Nations agency, which recommends a minimum 18 week maternity leave (Rubin 2016, p.1). In recent years, the controversial issue of guaranteed maternal leave has been a prominent topic of debate amongst political activists and elites, particularly in the United States, where reform is a feasible option but has yet to be achieved. It is this absence of policy that serves to provide guaranteed maternal for all working mothers that has been linked to significant health related issues; these adverse effects not only impacts those mothers, but their children as well. Although paid maternal leave remains a controversial matter, policy reform that implements such leave is not only a feasible option in the United States, both economically and politically, it is an ethical necessity in order to facilitate the well-being of American women. Thus, in order to work toward ethical political/governmental policy that supports the well-being of women in the United States’ workforce, it is crucial that guaranteed paid maternal policy is implemented.
This research also shows that when women take these leaves of absences, it will impact their career by decreasing their earnings in the long run (Patten, 2015). This is seen as an indirect form of discrimination in the workplace because even though an employer is not neglecting a woman for simply being a woman, they still are the ones who are expected to leave their occupation in order to care for their family and that creates much more significant long-term impacts on their careers than on a man’s career. This is quite unfortunate because as stated earlier, women are becoming a much larger force in high-paying jobs that are typically overrun and controlled by men, for instance, professional and managerial positions. However, research still shows that women
In American society today there is an imbalance in the gender income gap between men and women in the work force. Many factors such as discrimination, productivity, educational background and disproportional hours worked contribute to this ongoing challenge. While many are skeptical, others remain to have strong beliefs that women and men are treated equally. In most professions according to Glynn “women only earn seventy seven cents for every dollar earned by men” (2014). Although, the seventy seven cents figure does not accurately reflect gender discrimination, it does capture some discrimination,
Historically, women everywhere have been paid less than men for doing the same jobs. From Canada to Iceland, from the factories of World War I to present day talk shows, there is a tendency to pay women less money than their male counterparts. The wage gap based on gender inequality is a global issue, one that needs to be solved. When World War I first started, British and Canadian men left in drove to volunteer to fight on the front lines, leaving behind large gaps in the workforce. To fill these gaps, women went to work; in factories and farms, as ambulance drivers and mechanics.
No matter your gender, profession or where you live, you are affected by the gender pay gap. Gender inequality refers to the unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. (NYC Gender, 1). According to the report prepared by the Joint Economic Committee in April 2016, “The ratio of women’s to men’s median earnings – known as the “gender earnings ratio” is approximately 79 percent. That leaves a difference in earnings of 21 percent (or 21 cents on the dollar). This means that the typical woman earns less than $4 for every $5 earned by the typical man.” (Gender Pay, 2). The Equal Pay Act of 1963 made it illegal to pay a woman less that what a man would receive for the job. (Civil Rights, 1). However, we live in a world where women are still discriminated against and often paid less than men for performing the same job. As more and more women are taking on the role of “breadwinner”, the gender pay gap is an issue that needs to be resolved immediately.
Today there are two countries in the world that do not currently guarantee paid maternity leave for employed new mothers and/or expecting mothers, those countries are the United States and Papua New Guinea, according to the International Labour Organization, an United Nations agency (Rubin 2016). In recent years, the controversial issue of guaranteed maternal leave has been a prominent topic of debate amongst political activists and elites, particularly in the United States, where reform is both an ethical protection for employees and a feasible option for employers, but has yet to be achieved. It is this absence of policy that has been linked to significant health related issues of which does not only effect mothers, but their children as well. In addition to these adverse health impacts, it generates economic hardships to mothers and families. Thus, the consequences to mothers, families, and newborns that the absence of guaranteed paid maternal leave presents and the potential benefits of guaranteed paid leave for these individuals as well as employers, creates a case for policy reform in this particular area that would implement such protection.
Maternity leave policies have a significant impact on family roles, postpartum maternal health, and child development. According to Vahration (2009), mothers taking unpaid maternity leave are enforcing traditional gender roles within the family in order to compensate for their husband’s high earnings. Therefore, perpetuating discrimination in the work place by encouraging women, rather than men, to leave and take care of their children.
Women’s pay has long been a subject in the economic community and to a further extent society. With arguments being presented from both sides, but one thing cannot be disputed there is a gender based wage gap between women and men. Why is there a gap and how can society in the United States change that? First we must examine women in the workforce. Then ask why it happens then figure out how we can put an end to the pay gap.
Did you know that the wage gap is affected by more than just wages? Until the Enlightenment of Europe in the 1400s, women were viewed as less than men. They were not expected to work or be in any leadership positions. Now, the modern feminist movement is gaining momentum in raising the equality of women by increasing access to information about inequalities women face and hosting protests. Despite their success, women still face inequalities, especially in the work force. Women’s lack of access to equal employment opportunities leads to a wage disparity, for which political solutions have been implemented without success.
Recently women’s rights and women’s equality in the workplace has come back to the fore as a topic for discussion in government agencies and the United Nations. Whilst this is a very important topic, when it comes to time off from work when a new child is born, women in the US have some provision, whereas men have none.
The gender pay gap has an affect on the lives of women of all ages. In 2014, for full-time working women ages 20-24, there was an eight percent pay gap between men and women’s weekly incomes. Until age 35, the pay gap remains at about ten percent. After this age, women’s salaries grow much less than men’s. From the age 35 to retirement, women are earn between seventy-six and eighty-one percent of what
There are numerous examples of how the wage gap is still apparent in today’s society. Women only make 77% of what men earn in the same occupation (Carnevale, 1). Meaning women make only 77 cents to every dollar men earn. This gap in wages is backed up with no probable cause for the wage gap between genders. After seeing these statistics it easy to see women are discriminated down to the cent based on their gender.