The Wage Gap.

For the longest time problems in the "real world" didn't seem to affect me. I was just a seventh or eighth grader who was going to be in high school forever! But Graduation is around the corner and I'll be starting college soon, so the problems that affect my parents will soon be affecting me! One of these problems is the wage gap between men and women. Not only is it unfair, it is also illogical and it affects practically every working woman in today's society!

I think it is gender bias that causes the pay difference between men and women. Women have more opportunities in today’s society, but they still do not have equality. Sixty years ago it was believed that a woman’s “place” was in the home. Her main priority in life was to get married, have a family and care for that family. She was supposed to cook meals, take care of the house, and manage the kids. Today though, a woman can do whatever she wants with her life. She can soar amongst the stars as an astronaut, speed around the track as a racecar driver and climb political ladders to become well-respected leaders! More than likely, she won’t get paid as much as her male counterparts. As a matter of fact, a woman makes 77 cents for every dollar that a man does for doing the same job.

This pay gap is a result of the “glass ceiling” that exists in the workplace. This term is used to describe the unfair treatment of women. They can perform their jobs just as efficiently, sometimes more so, then men yet they still are not paid as much or as likely to advance in a company. Ceiling refers to the way that women are blocked from moving up in the ranks of their companies and in their careers while the glass part entails that the reasons are not always reasonable.

Some publications declare that the reason women are paid and promoted less is because of their desire to do it all. Women want to be good mothers, good friends, and good businesswomen. Because of that desire they are less likely to accept higher risk (and higher paid) jobs whereas men tend to focus on their careers more. But women need those higher paying jobs. Especially those that are single mothers. A woman has a family support! A men does as well, but if we are to be honest, in most families, Momma is the BOSS!

I believe that it is unfair to hold a woman back merely because she wants more out of her life then a stack of spread sheets to go over by 5 o’clock. Just because they want a family to go home to doesn’t mean that they are less competent then the men they work with. The wage gap needs to be closed, and with it the double standard that follows close behind.