Pay Gap Gender

Gender Wage Gap: Interpreting Oppressive Salaries in the Twenty First Century

Gender discrimination has been a significant issue throughout the United States’ history, and, although male superiority has decreased over the years, it remains a current problem, especially within the workforce. On average, women earn 80 cents for every dollar that men make while doing the same work. At this rate, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research estimates that the wage gap will not close until 2058 (Hartmann, et al). While many argue that the gap is nonexistent or exaggerated by argumentative feminists, there are numerous pieces of evidence that prove otherwise. The gender wage gap in the United States exists because of discrimination in the workforce,

They claim that men put in more effort and generally have more dedication to their jobs than women, therefore earning better pay. It is also argued that women take more unpaid leave than men. However, the biggest argument regarding hours worked by men and women concerns maternity leave. Many believe that the wage gap exists primarily because of mothers taking leave in order to care for their children. It is estimated by NOW that for every child a woman has, she suffers a five percent wage penalty (“The Gender Pay Gap”). Studies also show that female workers who are not pregnant are seen as more committed to their jobs than those who are pregnant, proving the discrimination that mothers in the workforce face (“The Gender Pay Gap”). When these statistics are brought to skeptics’ attention, they claim that motherhood is a choice, and the mother is to blame for choosing to have a child along with a lower income. But this is a choice that is rather forced upon women by society, as many people think that women are unworthy if they do not have children. However, when a woman does choose to become a mother, it is seen as socially unacceptable if she does not take time off work to raise her child, as taking maternity leave is expected of new mothers, but not of fathers. According to research done by the University of Massachusetts, employers are less likely to hire mothers compared to

These women face not only sexual, but racial discrimination as well, and the differences are much greater than those of white women. Women of color are most likely to be forced into the lowest paying jobs (Fisher). They also tend to work less hours, as they are often pushed into hourly, part time jobs with flimsy schedules that are likely to change or alter with little notice beforehand (Fisher). It is notably harder for women of color to find full time jobs, and they are likely to end up involuntarily working part time jobs more than white women. Research shows that women of different ethnicities are less likely to graduate from high school or get a college degree than white women, which explains how they end up in lower paying part time jobs (Fisher). All of these factors play a role in the overall gender wage gap in the United States, and they impact the women and their families greatly. A 2014 study done by the American Association of University Women found that the gap is the highest for Hispanic or Latino women, as they earn 54 percent of what white, non-Hispanic men earn. Women of color are often the major financial providers for their families, and, because of the wide wage gaps, they are losing out on thousands of dollars every year