Imagine yourself, a female, working at Microsoft with many male co-workers. You are a vice president along with your co-partner, who is a male. When paychecks are issued you realize that he is getting paid 75% more than you, but both of you work at the same place with the same position and doing the same work. Do you think this is fair? In 1964, women normally were paid 59% of what men were paid (Ford). The disparity between the pay was based solely on gender and it is an unfair practice. Now, women are generally paid 79% of what men are being paid (Ford). There have been many conversations considering women not being paid equally as men, and there is a gender wage gap. If women are doing the same job as men, then women should receive the same pay as their male counterparts for equal work. We cannot discuss pay equity unless we take a brief look at the history of women and their roles in society from the beginning of this country up through today. The roles and responsibilities of women have changed since this country was established. When our country was established, women’s jobs were in the homes doing housekeeping, bearing, and rearing children. They had no political voice nor power. There were some women, such as Abigail Adams and Judith Sargent Murray who began to voice their concerns and beliefs about female subjugation (“NWHM Exhibit”). Slowly, men began to consider that women had a right to some form of education, but still believed that men were the public figure
The imperatives for securing pay equity for women’s work start with the fundamental human right
It is not up for debate whether women are discriminated against in the workplace, it is evident in census data; in 2013, among full-time, year-round workers, women were paid 78 percent of what men were paid. It is said that the organizations that are pro-equal pay, including some unions, support the idea that the government should set wages for all jobs. To the contrary, the organizations that are proponents of equal pay are not for job wages being set by the government-they wish to have the discrimination taken out of pay scales from within the company. Commonly, this pay gap is attributed to the fact that women in the United States are still expected to attend to familial obligations over work.
In our constitution we are all equal, but why are we not paid equally? The gender wage gap movement will result in social change because it is bringing awareness to women in the workplace getting paid lower than her male counterpart. On the other hand, many other people may argue that the gap is not because of gender, it is because men work longer hours compared to women since they have children to take care of. I believe that this movement could improve by making people more aware of the through more examples such as the Women’s U.S.A. Soccer Team wanting more pay and equal pay.
Ninety-five years ago the nineteenth amendment was passed giving women in America the right to vote (America’s Historical Documents), this was a pivotal step for women rights. Since then women’s rights have increasingly advanced throughout America: in politics and in the workforce. In fact “women today make up almost half of all worker in the United States” (The State of Women in America). Sadly though, women are paid less than males in the workforce. "Women in the United States are paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes" (The State of Women in America). One question that derives from this topic is: why are women still not getting paid as much as men? Women should get paid as equally as men do. A fair argument to make against the topic is the difference in the types of work a woman and a man does (Debate). For example in construction men are tasked with most of the heavy lifting as opposed to a women that do not have as much
According to statistics, there are disparities with pay in the workplace. Men are paid more in wages, comprehensive packages, and benefits than women who performed the same job responsibilities and roles in the workplace. The big question is why are women being unvalued? Since, this is a common practice in the workplace, is this fair to both genders and is this the most favorable outcome for the greatest number affected by this business practice? The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was passed to eliminate this type of discrimination based on sex with paying wages to employees, in such establishment at a rate less than the rate at which pays, wages to employees of the opposite sex for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions.
After years of Civil Rights Movements and Pay Equity Acts, as of 2014, women still only make 79 cents to a man 's every dollar. Although the wage gap has shrunk since the 1970’s, progress has recently stalled and chances of it vanishing on its own is unlikely. The gains that American women have made towards labor market experience and skills is tremendous. In fact, women account for 47% of labor workforce and 49.3% of American jobs. But despite of women’s strides, a gender pay gap still exists. Experts suggest that it will take 100 years to close the gap at the rate employers and legislators are working to create solutions. But by allowing women to work in higher paying positions and by proposing and updating pay equity laws, the gender gap can finally be diminished.
Gender equality is something that has been a problem through the ages. Susan B. Anthony and many others fought for the right to vote which was granted in 1920. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law stating that no employer can discriminate based on gender. The American Association of University Women published a graph on Women’s Median Annual Earnings as a Percentage of Men’s Median Annual Earnings for Full-time, Year-round Workers, 1974-2014 and it shows that in 1974, women were paid 59% of what men were paid. The graph shows the improvements over the years and that in 2014, women were paid 79% of what men were paid. The gap has not budged since 2014. The gender pay gap has improved over the years, but it will not close until new legislation passes.
Imagine what an extra 20%, or more, in your paycheck could do for you. Maybe it would be the difference between just scraping by and having a little discretionary income. Now, imagine being paid based on your own merit, and not some sliding scale which has historically favored men as the breadwinners of the family. Unfortunately, for most women, equal pay is still a dream. Today, as throughout history, there exists a gender pay gap where women are paid $0.79 to every dollar a man makes. Minority women make even less. Women, of course, have always known this gap exists, but they have had little power to change it.
America was founded in 1776, but it wasn’t until more than 150 years later when women were even allowed to vote. Although we have come a long way since then, women in this country are still not equal to men. The wage gap is a commonly cited example of this, but it’s not what it seems to be. On first glance it seems that women are paid only 79 cents to a man’s dollar, and
The inequality of pay between a man and a woman grows when the woman's race is taken into consideration, statistically, white women earn seventy-eight cents, African-American women earn sixty-four cents and Latina women earn fifty-six cents for every dollar earned by a white man as stated on www. whitehouse.gov. This significant wage gap is not just a bunch of numbers -- it has real life consequences that affect real life women: women with growing children to feed, women of color, disabled women, aging women longing retirement, and your own
One key issue that is covered by the Women’s Rights movement is shrinking the pay gap. Currently in the U.S. women earn roughly eighty cents to every full dollar earned by a man ("Pay Equity"). This accounts for the fact that the average American male
Women employees make less than men in the same job position. “It is an absolute scandal that American women continue to earn just $0.77 for every dollar men earn.” (Sen. Mikulski) There should not be a gender pay gap. Workers should be given salaries based on their work ethics, degrees, and academic credentials.
If the United States is an equal country, then why are men and women still paid different salaries? The U.S. is said to be a country of freedom and equality, but the crucial part of every individual’s life, getting a job and working, is not equal. Men and women in America are separated by a long-existing wage gap. Though the gap may only be a few cents difference, over time, it adds up to a large amount of money. Education seems like a solution to the problem, but it does not help. Also, the gap can hurt young girl’s self-esteem as well as making it harder for single mothers to care for themselves and their children. To achieve a truly equal country, the pay gap
Recent studies have shown that for every dollar men earn, for the same work, women only earn 88 cents. This may not seem like much of a difference, but over time it adds up. Every year women make around $10,000 less than men. Over the course of a woman’s career, this becomes a difference of thousands of dollars. This difference has an immense effect on not just women, but men too. There needs to be equal pay for equal work because it could help boost the economy, support retirement plans for women, and make traditional women’s work valued in society.
“Ontario has legislation called the Pay Equity Act to ensure that women and men receive equal pay for performing jobs that may be very different but are of equal value (Ontario Ministry of Labour, 2015).” Men and women have the right to equal pay if they are doing the same job. Yet women and men are getting paid differently. Women have so many rights like the right to vote. If women are given so many rights, then the right to equal pay should also be given. This is not fair to women because they are supposed to get paid equally but they are