I believe that there are many societal gender issues that need to be addressed but one of the more significant issues is the gender wage gap. The gender wage gap (or gender pay gap) is the term that is used to describe wage inequality among men and women. In recent years, a high degree of awareness has been brought to this issue as more women enter the workforce, obtain college degrees, and climb the corporate ladder. This topic has also received heightened media attention from female celebrities, such as Jennifer Lawrence and Charlize Theron that have publicly detailed their wage negotiations and individual struggles to receive pay that is equal to their male counterparts. The increase in awareness can also be attributed to the rising
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While many might argue that discrimination against women has dissipated over the past fifty years, it still plays a role in the gender wage gap. We can still see hints of discrimination as we listen to politicians’ debate about whether or not a woman can be an effective President of the United States. In addition to discrimination, gender roles and domestic responsibilities have had significant influence on the gender wage gap. Domestic duties are still largely handled by women making them more likely than men to leave the workplace when domestic issues arise. Because of this, women may be seen as less valuable than men and if a women needs to take maternity leave or request time off to care for sick children, she may be considered a threat to long term productivity (Magnusson, 2010). Aside from domestic responsibilities the wage gap is also perpetuated by a highly segregated workplace. We tend to see that men and women are working in different places and when compared to men, women dominate low-skill occupations such as retail work, child care, and senior care (Petersen and Morgan, 1995). However, even with more women going to college to earn their degree, segregation is still an issue because the types of careers that women are pursuing tend to pay less by trade such as education and public services. Men, on average, still dominate the much higher paying Science/Technology/Engineering/Math (STEM) careers (Helgeson, 2012, p. 113). This means that career choice and the segregation that occurs with it can play a major role in the wage gap. While we can articulate the negative effects and have an understanding of its origins, closing the wage gap and how to go about it can be a difficult
While many might argue that discrimination against women has dissipated over the past fifty years, it still plays a role in the gender wage gap. We can still see hints of discrimination as we listen to politicians’ debate about whether or not a woman can be an effective President of the United States. In addition to discrimination, gender roles and domestic responsibilities have had significant influence on the gender wage gap. Domestic duties are still largely handled by women making them more likely than men to leave the workplace when domestic issues arise. Because of this, women may be seen as less valuable than men and if a women needs to take maternity leave or request time off to care for sick children, she may be considered a threat to long term productivity (Magnusson, 2010). Aside from domestic responsibilities the wage gap is also perpetuated by a highly segregated workplace. We tend to see that men and women are working in different places and when compared to men, women dominate low-skill occupations such as retail work, child care, and senior care (Petersen and Morgan, 1995). However, even with more women going to college to earn their degree, segregation is still an issue because the types of careers that women are pursuing tend to pay less by trade such as education and public services. Men, on average, still dominate the much higher paying Science/Technology/Engineering/Math (STEM) careers (Helgeson, 2012, p. 113). This means that career choice and the segregation that occurs with it can play a major role in the wage gap. While we can articulate the negative effects and have an understanding of its origins, closing the wage gap and how to go about it can be a difficult