Inequality of Women pay
A wide range of separations between people have been seen all around the globe; regardless of whether its race, sex, religion, or sexuality. For some time now, women who are as similarly prepared as men, in regard to job qualifications, are not getting equivalent pay. This sex imbalance comes from the male centric mentality that men accommodate the women and children and the women stay at home to do chores and take care of the children. Today, women have indistinguishable potential from men, however, equal pay for women has yet to be given. Ladies and men are dealt with distinctively when in a workplace. Compensation between men and women are not equivalent with respect to the workload. Ethically, this isn't right, ladies have similar occupations that men do and deserve equal payment.
The 1920's or as it is known as The Roaring 20's, was a period in American history where women started to challenge common generalizations that were placed upon them, by having the capacity to control their own life. A report on the Roaring 20's expressed, ‘The Roaring Twenties was the birth of a new woman. She defied society’s standards of what it’s women were supposed to do, say, wear, act like and be. She gained political power by gaining the right to vote. She broke out of her domestic shell. She wore shorter skirts, more dramatic makeup, and cut her hair. She flaunted her sexuality. She drank, smoked, and danced in clubs’ (Women in the Roaring Twenties). Before the 1920’s there were strict expectations placed on women in the society, however, once we entered the roaring 20’s, we seen a shift in the confidence of women. Women even became more powerful politically by gaining the right to vote. Once World War I begins however we see a shift in the work place, ‘large numbers of women were recruited into jobs vacated by men who had gone to fight in the war. New jobs were also created as part of the war effort, for example in munitions factories. The high demand for weapons resulted in the munitions factories becoming the largest single employer of women during 1918. Though there was initial resistance to hiring women for what was seen as ‘men’s work’, the introduction of conscription in 1916 made the need for women workers urgent. Around this time, the government began coordinating the employment of women through campaigns and recruitment drives’ (Anitha). With men being pulled into the military, their jobs needed to be taken care of and there were also jobs needed to build the military equipment they would use. This forced women to join the work force which went against societal expectations at that time, however, the country had no choice. If women were to refuse to take these jobs, it would hurt our economy tremendously.
Today, we live in a sexist world. Women are always rejected the chance to be fruitful regardless of whether they have a degree. The impression of women in a workforce are viewed as if they do not work hard as men. According to ‘Worth More Than We Earn.", Castro reports:
Nearly 60 percent of American women working year-round and full-time get paid less than $25,000 per year. Approximately half of all women work in traditionally female job categories such as clerical worker, nurse, teacher, librarian, and child care provider, most of which are relatively low-paying. (Castro 1)
Obviously, the role women play in the work environment is crucial because of the way that they make up majority of the professions listed above. Women frequently are questioned due to their sex. Women, regardless of their education, are not given the pay they deserve. By stating "traditionally female job", it shows how sexist society is. There is no such thing as a female occupation because each female can carry out any employment given and do as fine as a man can. Today, a degree isn't a vital factor for a woman who works. Having a degree isn't sufficient for a woman to get paid the same as a man.
In the workplace, women are often seen as sexual beings. Whether they are applying for a job or already have the job. In Sex Harassment on Job: New Rules Issued, Middleton states, ‘Leventer added that women’s complaints often weren’t taken seriously’ The verbal barrage, she said, is often combined with grabbing and touching that are both unconsented to and offensive’ (Middleton 703). This is an example of hypersexualizing. This theory is often referenced to describe how men portray and treat women as sexual objects. Specifically, in workplaces, sexual harassment forms a hostile environment. Society has made it so women are over sexualized. For example, something as simple as being the ‘sexy secretary’. Quid Pro Quo in the workplace is very common. Women are not taken seriously for their work ethics and are perceived as a sexual approach. Due to this, women are coerced into doing a ‘favor’ for a person in higher authority for something in return typically a raise or promotion. For example, women are asked by male co-workers to go out on dates.
Some may say that men are stronger and can endure more than women in the workforce. However, it is shown through data that women are working more than men. According to The Pay Gap between Male and Female Jobs: Organizational and Legal Realities, the authors note, ‘Among adults 25 to 50 years of age, the percentage of men who were in the labor force dropped from 97% to 92% between 1970 and 1994, while women’s participation went from 37% to 75%’ (Nelson and Bridges 914). Despite the unequal pay, women are continuing to employ themselves in male-dominant fields, proving that they are capable of performing at the same level as men. Despite the false perception of a woman being lazy, worthless, and dependable on a man, women are their own individual. They stand for their beliefs, rights, and success.
Women today have the ability to work harder than or just as hard as men. In How Women Cope: Being a Numerical Minority in a Male-Dominated Profession, ‘A female role model is particularly influential in performance domains where negative gender stereotypes exist.’ (Richman, Wood, and vanDellen 495). Because of the negative gender stereotypes, it makes women want to thrive and become even more successful. The representation of a strong woman in male-dominated fields of work and studies battle against stereotypes of what women are ‘good at’ and inspires more women to enter professions dominated by men. This inspiration leads to the continued success of women workers in the near and far future. Careers such as science, technology, engineering, and math fields are all ‘men jobs’ and with the adequate training, women are more capable of working the ‘men jobs’. Since there are more women working in those types of fields, it debunks the stereotypes of what are ‘men jobs’ and ‘women jobs’ since women can do any type of job. Women are sending the message to aspire other women that if a man can so can a woman, making it empowering, since gender stereotypes today silence women’s work potential. Also, this shows that despite the discrimination of their gender, women are continuing to flourish.
Young girls and boys at a young age are raised to distinguish the difference in what belongs to girls and what belongs to boys. In Does Gender Ideology Explain Differences Between Countries Regarding the Involvement of Women and of Men in Paid and Unpaid Work? the author stated:
This in turn increases the probability that women and men will perform in line with a traditional division of labour, meaning that women will do a majority of the household work and men will devote themselves mainly to paid work. The main point in the causal argument is that gender ideology is mainly developed during childhood, which means before the individuals’ actual level of engagement in paid and unpaid work. (Nordenmark 235)
The idea of gender inequality begins as early as a person’s childhood. Men and women often fall into the traditional roles they are taught long before they enter the workforce; meaning women often take charge of household chores while men are the ‘breadwinners.’ These stereotypes develop during childhood, before either gender engages in paid and unpaid work.’ Before they enter the workforce, it is put in their minds what job a woman does and what a man does. Some girls do not want to go into certain careers because it is seen as a male thing and because they are not going to be paid equally. Unequal pay suppresses dreams and aspirations, not allowing for women to work to their full potential because they are undervalued by society for being a woman.
In order to combat women inequality, today we use protest and caricatures as a way to fight back. In From The Editor: Embodiment and the Women’s March, it mentions:
Social protest is a kind of art making, and there was no shortage on display at the women’s march… Feminist activists have a long tradition of recognizing the power of outrageousness and humor or animate an issue for a broad swath of people (think Lesbian Avengers, Guerrilla Girls, Karen Finley, Sarah Maple, or punk band Bikini Kill). (L.M.11)
Today, there are feminist movements such as the Women’s March taken place where women break the silence and demand for gender equality and social changes in Washington D.C and Boston. Through humor, posters, banners, and costumes women are able to come across their message and get the attention of society to grow awareness. Women are fighting to make the United States a better place and make it women inclusive in workplaces and many more masculine activities.
Men and women are the same, their only difference is that one is a female and the other is a male. A person should not be stripped away from their rights because of a stereotypical mindset. Men and women should receive equal pay because they all can equally handle and work in the workforce. Women today are still seen as weak and vulnerable and for that reason are not paid the same. When in reality, women can both mentally and physically do as much work as a man can do without complications. As a result of that, they should receive same pay. Today, unequal pay is more noticeable, and it still exists. We live in a country where all men and women are created equally, therefore, no one should not be looked upon because of their gender. With more awareness, unequal pay will be fixed and both genders will receive the right pay.
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Works Cited
Anitha, Sundari. ‘Striking Women.’ World War II: 1939-1945 | Striking Women, www.striking-women.org/module/women-and-work/world-war-i-1914-1918.
Castro, Ida L. ‘Worth More Than We Earn.’ Vol.77, no. 2, p.69. Academic Search Premier. Accessed 01 May. 2018.
"From the Editor: Embodiment and the Women’s March." vol. 45, no. 1, Mar. 2017, pp. 9- 12. Academic Search Premier. Accessed 01 May. 2018.
Middleton, Martha. "Sex Harassment on Job: New Rules Issued." vol. 66, no. 6, 1 June 1980, p. 703. Academic Search Premier. Accessed 01 May. 2018.
Nelson, Robert, and William P. Bridges. ‘The Pay Gap Between Male and Female Jobs: Organizational and Legal Realities’. Vol. 25, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1999, pp.913-31. Academic Search Premier. Accessed 01 May. 2018.
Nordenmark, Mikael. "Does Gender Ideology Explain Differences Between Countries Regarding the Involvement of Women and of Men in Paid and Unpaid Work?" vol. 13, no. 3, 1 July 2004, pp. 233-43. Academic Search Premier. Accessed 03 May. 2018.
Richman, Laura S., Michelle vanDellen, and Wendy Wood. "How Women Cope: Being a Numerical Minority in a Male-Dominated Profession." vol. 67, no. 3, 1 Sept. 2011, pp. 492-509. Academic Search Premier. Accessed 05 May. 2018.
‘Women in the Roaring Twenties (Fall 2012) – Historpedia.’ Google Sites. Accessed 01 May. 2018.