Women have been last in gaining most basic human rights for years in the history textbooks. But in today’s society, there are still many things that women have to deal with that men will never have to worry about. Even though the gender pay gap has decreased exponentially since women were allowed to start working alongside their male counterparts, it is still a problem in America. For every dollar a man makes in the United States, women only get eighty cents. If men and women were paid the same, women would gain more in earnings every year. The gender pay gap is mostly attributed to discrimination in the workplace.
Many of the women who are making less than their male co-workers are just as qualified if not more qualified in all aspects of the job. This discrimination stems from the thought process that women are needed as family caregivers. This means that the women at these different jobs will be more focused on their family and home than their job. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2013, it was shown that women oftentimes had to take extreme measures to help out their families.
These women would take reduced work hours, turn down promotions, and even quit their job for their families benefit. These sacrifices that women make for their families negatively impact their careers because of the image that it gives them. When broken down, the gender pay gap becomes a societal issue about the way that we view women and their role in a family dynamic. Should women be the only ones seen as the caregiver in the family and the man of the family as the breadwinner? Or can they share both roles and help each other out as a team?
There are women who exceed this expectation and thrive. Some of the highest-paid women include:
-
Mackenzie Bezos
-
Jacqueline Mar
-
Alice Walton
-
Lauren Powell Jobs
-
Taylor Swift
-
Beyonce
Sources: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/09/gender-pay-gap-facts