“November is here and St. John’s is as much excited about the end of the midterms, as it is dreading about the finals that are to come. With that being said, Team Her Campus is celebrating Women’s Week from November 2 to November 7, our writer Jozefina suggested this and I am glad it is coming into shape. Everyday an article subjected to a certain issue that women face in today’s society and the mission is to make everyone aware of what kind of society we live in as of this moment. And from a man to all the women I know, a big thank you for being an inspiration and motivation in life. ”-Abhi Joshi, Section Editor
The gender pay gap is a battle that has raged around the United States and other parts of the worlds for generations, yet it is a battle that has yet to be won. According to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), in the year 2015 – a time when “progress” is at an all-time high, females around the United States still make an average of 79 cents of what the average white male makes.
What’s even worse is that when broken down further, the wage gap increases on a racial basis as well. According to statistics compiled by the American Association of Undergraduate Women (AAUW), wage gaps between men and women are actually smaller within every race besides Asian American and white women. Hispanic women, for example, make 90% of what Hispanic men make, but only 54% of what white men make. On the other hand, Asian American women earn about 90% of what white men do, but 79% of what Asian American men do. Statistically speaking, however, females within all ethnicities in the United States still have yet to reach a point where the wage gap has been completely demolished.
Those who believe the wage gap to be a fallacy attempt to explain it away by listing various factors, such as education, as a reason behind it. Along with education, factors such as experience and occupation choice are also listed. There’s also the common excuse of motherhood that is seen as a one-way ticket to the end of women’s time in the workforce, but 41 percent of this gap is still unaccounted for, according to the NWLC. Surely these factors have had a lasting effect on the wage gap, but how could they not, when sexism has been driven so deeply into our society?
It’s easy to accept and ignore such an issue. It’s easy to accept whatever excuses are flung our way out of sheer bitterness towards a powerful movement.
To continue the fight, is the difficult part. In this day and age, such a gap is a disgrace. Equality is not a difficult concept, yet it is something that has been increasingly difficult to attain. As young women, we must persevere and continue the fight to see an actual end to this pay gap. Not only is it necessary for us, but also it is necessary for future generations – for our daughters and their daughters.
The gender pay gap is just one issue on an extensive list that affects women every single day. It is, however, a battle worth fighting. Achieving income equality may seem like a small victory, but for women around the country, it would be a significant one.
Take the time to learn more about income inequality. Our voices count, our thoughts matter – it is time that we rise up and become the generation that finally puts an end to a battle that has raged for far too long.