Emma Robertson
Ms. Arcangelo
English 10 4*
3/12/18
“You’re doing great!” Every one of your new coworkers trots up to you, congratulating your success in the new job you have taken up. Everyone had doubted you would make it through even just one day. But you have, and now you stare at your paycheck. Why does it read $154 different than that of your male friend? You are a woman, that’s why. It is why you cannot manage to earn the same salary as your male counterparts, no matter how hard you work. In fact, a large portion of these disregarded women put in effort worthy of better pay: on average, women who juggle a full-time job are paid around $706 per week, while in comparison men earn an approximation of $860 per week. Many of the working women are mothers as well, and rely on their jobs to help feed, clothe, and house their families. Therefore, with insufficient salaries, poverty has erupted and women have a better chance of financially failing those they love. In addition to aiding a healthy percentage of females, equal pay could allow for a raise in the economic standing of the United States. The gender wage gap has always been a prominent issue, and although it is slowly being resolved, it still divides the workforce. Despite our society prioritizing men, the gender wage gap should be closed because women put in equal effort and deserve equality, it could help mothers and to end poverty, and it may secure the reputation of the United States as a prospering nation.
It would hardly be an understatement to suggest that women are not as capable as men and do not carry out what they are required of nearly as well as the male species. A woman is a woman, and their gender should not change others’ perspectives of them and their efficacy, and yet, it does. In fact, women's brains are wired to think more successfully in some specific situations, according to researcher Ragini Verma from the University of Pennsylvania. "Women are better at intuitive thinking. Women are better at remembering things. When you talk, women are more emotionally involved – they will listen more," Ragini said. This could easily come into handy throughout their occupations, yet women are continuously underestimated and taken advantage of when their paycheck rolls around. Aside from a female’s different wiring of the brain falling in their favor, women can exert personal effort and still fall into the traps society has set for them. A widely recognized example would be the United States women’s soccer team. They are currently ranked as number one in the world and as the leading team in the history of women’s sports altogether. However, the men’s team is ranked as the third most successful team in current men’s sports, yet are paid approximately three times more than the women per game. Player Hope Solo for the women’s team revealed another main difference in pay. “There’s two different pay structures. The men get paid per game. Whether they win or lose, they get paid. The women [are] on a salary-based contract,” said Solo. Of course, unequal payment for women is prominent everywhere.
How is it even considerable to accept that for every dollar that a man earns, a women only earns about 82.1 cents? Mothers have been targeted even more so than the average woman, paying them roughly about 74.7 cents to every man’s dollar. Over time, the lost money adds up to nearly $10,000 each year. That is $10,000 they could use to put more substantial meals on their table or buy warmer clothes for their families. Essentially, forty percent of households today rely on working mothers as the breadwinner, or primary source of income, within the family. For these families, the pay gap would overall decrease their spending ability if the mother is unable to provide an ample budget. As a result, poverty has transpired aggressively. Currently, eight percent of working women are destitute and penniless. This could easily be cut in half with equal pay. Not only is the wage difference impacting poverty rates, but throughout the process it has penalized women for their motherhood. As it happens quite frequently, women have to sometimes go on maternity leave, should it be a part-time or full-time job. In other words, if a woman has a child while maintaining an occupation, they have to leave for at least a little while to recover from the birth and care for their newborn. However, employers have reported that when the women return, they are more hesitant to pay them their original unitary payment. This stems from the dismal thought that they will be less committed at work, and more so at home instead. In some cases this is an accurate assumption, but such as nearly everything else in the world, not every woman should be condemned and therefore become pay depressed.
Everyone has most likely been told at least once in their lifetime to “think bigger”, and this is a situation that requires some larger-scale consideration. In terms of equal pay, the United States as a nation would benefit greatly. Since women make up about 47 percent of the workforce, as of 2010, they affect the economy’s growths and declines. If equal pay became a reality, the US economy would have earned an additional $512.6 billion of which embodies 2.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). As defined by Google, GDP is “the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.” A spike in the economy would create a vast increase in production of goods and availability of services. As a result, the overall standards of living would improve, creating a domino effect. This translates over into enhancing other aspects of life, such as employment rates. “According to a study in part conducted by WomenCertified, a women’s consumer advocacy and retail training organization, women spend $4 trillion annually, accounting for 83% of all U.S. Consumer spending,” reveals Lahle Wolfe of The Balance. If paid equally, with the standards of living and income increased, women would most likely make even more purchases, thus advancing the economy even further.
While there seem to be many benefits of equal pay, arguments have been made against it. To begin with, there is the logic that states that women should just find a different job that pays more if they want to earn more in the first place. Next, as mentioned previously, since women are childbearers they take time off of work to care for their children. This inconsistency at work is argued to be proof behind the idea that men deserve a larger pay. According to the American Federation of the State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), equal wages for men and women would be unfair to men. “Pay equity ensures that every worker in the family is earning what they should based on the requirements of their jobs,” contends AFSCME. Even further, some men’s jobs are known to entail physical exertion and perilous situations. This ends up collectively labeling all men’s occupations as demanding of a more sufficient income. However, these assertions do not account for the inequity women experience throughout the workforce. They are constantly taken advantage of, which diminishes their economic value along with their family’s.
Throughout all of history, women are treated as inferior and subordinate to men. One way women are disrespected is through unequal pay, and it is time for a change. Women should earn an income identical to men because they are just as deserving, mothers need support and it could help to end poverty, and the US economy would greatly profit from closing the wage gap. Women in their occupation earn less than their male counterparts, however all for the same effort and results. They are discriminated against, and because of this they are not being paid the same despite the fact that they carry out the exact job as their male equivalent. Next, a large amount of females are mothers, and due to this they require a larger income to be supported in raising their child or children. However, lesser pay jeopardizes this ideal and practice. Finally, due to the fact that women are the primary sources of income for the United States, the GDP would grow exponentially. A greater pay would allow for women to consume even more than previously, and thus the economy would increase in success. On the other hand, since many women are mothers, they often depend upon maternity leave, which creates an inconsistency, leading the employer to question them and therefore abate their earnings. Also, men generally follow riskier job paths, putting them in a position that deserves a larger pay than women, who of which generally do not. Although these are opinionated thoughts, it is not deniable that women are worthy of a fairer salary.