The Gender Pay Gap

Radical Feminism looks to expand the concept of patriarchy beyond men having power and status over women; radical feminism explains the concept of patriarchy as being so ingrained in society that it is legitimized by other institutions within society. The ‘gender pay gap’ is a prime example of the issues that radical feminism discusses. According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, the gender pay gap is the difference between men and women’s average weekly full-time employment earnings. Factors that increase the likeliness of this pay gap are occupational segregation between the genders, a lack of women in executive positions, overt and covert discrimination, differences in education and training, and lastly, women’s attachment to the

The workforces that legitimize the subordination of women are occupations that are frequently dominated by men. “All power structures throughout history have been male-dominated and male-oriented” (Redstockings). Patriarchal dominance extends into the workplace to perpetuate this inequality because men who are in positions of power within these institutions still see women as a commodity to exploit, and they still believe that a woman’s place is in the home and not within the workplace. For example, when working full-time women only make 81% of what men make. Furthermore, men are more likely to hold high-level management positions than women. Women are also victims of gender inequality because of their biology. Companies often discriminate against women because of their ability to have kids and if they have kids. Many companies say this is a reason why women don’t have high-level positions (Laura, Trust Women). Men in positions of power often use this factor as a way to keep women out of the workplace. These men use covert and overt forms of discrimination to limit women’s abilities in the workplace, and also use them as a way to bar them from entering or to push them

According to Workplace Fairness, “Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace occurs when an employer discriminates on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions.” Pregnancy discrimination is a form of emotional exploitation that is used by men against women. A pregnant woman is emotionally tied, in this situation; she has to choose her child or her job; she has to choose between survival for herself or survival for her unborn child. Men in power use this as a weapon against women to push them out of the workplace (where they were not wanted in the first place). Furthermore, this discrimination does not only fall on pregnant women, it falls onto every woman because of the ability to produce a child. “The values embedded in these major sectors of society favor men as a group over women as a group” (Lorber 128). This reason is why men are often more employed than women, and why women do not move into positions of seniority. “[Women] are exploited as… domestic servants, and cheap labor” (Redstockings). Pregnancy discrimination and other factors contribute to the gender pay gap. This gap keeps women poor and men rich. According to Kathryn Vasel, women make around 82 cents for every dollar a man makes. “All men receive economic, sexual, and psychological benefits from male