Gender Inequality in the US workforce is an ongoing issue that is becoming more and more evident each day. The unfairness of wages between men and women is so evident that many organizations have risen in order to help change the issue. Women in the workforce are the main target affected by these wage gaps. The Pew Research Center states, “Among women across all races and ethnicities, hourly earnings lag behind those of white men and men in their own racial or ethnic group” (Patten). Therefore, every woman in the United States is affected whether they realize it or not. Many women even claim that they believe that their pay is equal to the pay of men, but ultimately no industry offers equal pay for equal work and even some high-skilled jobs have the worst pay gaps.
This ongoing social injustice is continually affecting not only women, but families of the women that depend on their pay to maintain a stable lifestyle. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, pay gap between men and women exists in nearly every spectrum of the United States. Women are paid less than men in every state and a majority of all work industries. New York leads all states with the smallest wage gap. Men earn an average of $52,124 and women earn an average of $46,208, which puts the gap at 11%. On average, men earn $10,470 more than women across all states in America. In specialist job’s, such as a surgeon, the earning-ratio between men and women is 64%. The reasons for this gap are still unknown, but the statistics are evident that women earn significantly less than men in most all industries.
Different news articles show definite inequality in the workforce, and I couldn't believe that people could actually state that this fully apparent inequality is right and just. According to The Huffington Post “women in the United States make 79 cents for every dollar a man earns” giving us tangible facts that this is truly a problem (Pearson). It is evident that people are blindly denying the fact that women are being mistreated in the workforce. It is very important to implement equal pay into our laws today so that in the future, the wage gap between men and women can become infinitesimal. I believe that this ongoing issue should not be brushed aside any longer, and we should take a stand to end gender inequality in the United States workforce. When looking at the bigger picture of life, women should not have to CHOOSE between being a mother or pursuing a career due to fear of financial stability. What if women finally had the opportunity to pursue what we were passionate about, knowing that we will rightfully receive equal pay to men?
How should we go about solving this evident issue? My first guess would be by grabbing hold of it from the very beginning. After researching, I found a list of six ways to crush this ongoing unfairness. I believe that if these initiatives are taken from the start, then the inequality will decrease at a very fast rate. However, hiring forces for companies and workplaces have to be equal and on board as well. World Economic Forum states as number one, “Rethink job interviews.” Instead of asking men and women in their interview, “What do you think your salary should be?” they should, “provide a fair and transparent salary range and ask applicants to position themselves within it” (Trachsel). This in turn will take a more-broad question and make it more-narrow, considering women typically ask for less than men. The second way is by “Making gender quality part of training and education” (Trachsel). I could not agree more with this because after researching I was amazed to see how many men AND women were so unaware of what was really going on. Third, “Be proactive about welcoming women” (Trachsel). This statement to me means more than greeting women in the hallways as you’re crossing paths, this means respecting their presence and never underestimating their ability. Along with the fact that all “salaries and promotions should be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis to ensure equal treatment” (Trachsel). If this means hiring more people to the job specifically complete this task, then it should be done no question. This leads into the fourth point which is, “making flexibility and work-life balance a part of the wider community college” (Trachsel). This one is probably the hardest because it’s focusing on people that work part time or at home, which in some cases cannot be helped. Similar to four, the fifth point is, “Don’t limit your talent pool” (Trachsel). Work should have a comfortable feel to it for both men and women. Ultimately the workplace would be more united and really strive to work for its goal from day to day. Lastly, “Use the power of networking” (Trachsel). I love this suggestion because it empowers women to build strength in themselves and share the ways that they can best enhance their careers. I really do feel, that if these six easy tasks are implemented we will begin to see a FAST decrease in inequality in the workforce and women will truly start to feel equal to men.
References:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/10/six-ways-fix-gender-inequality-workplace/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/01/racial-gender-wage-gaps-persist-in-u-s-despite-some-progress/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-the-gender-pay-gap-isnt-a-myth-and-heres-why_us_5703cb8de4b0a06d5806e03f
https://www.aauw.org/resource/gender-pay-gap-by-state-and-congressional-district/
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