Eradicating the Gender Pay Gap: Will It Ever Close?

   

Eradicating the Gender Pay Gap: Will It Ever Close?

Christina Wright

    In a country where everything is supposed to be equal, the “land of opportunity”, how is it acceptable for half of the population to be making 77 cents for every dollar the other half

makes? The disturbing truth is that this is our reality. Based upon a recent study by the National Women’s Law Center, on average a woman is paid 23 cents less per dollar than a man is for the same career. In some cases, such as in Wyoming, the gap is even larger at 33 cents per dollar. Although activists have pushed for reform, the small changes that were made offered little relief to the pay difference amongst men and colored women and to the exponential growth of the gender pay gap as women work to advance into higher positions.

    To add strength to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which on paper eliminated the discrimination in the work place, President Kennedy passed the Equal Pay Act in order to specify the eradication of gender discrimination in means of salary.  However, even after the added legislative support, women still faced an astronomical pay difference of 41 cents less for every dollar a man earns.  This disturbing trend continues today, even though the gap has shrunk over the past few decades, it shows no signs of closing completely any time soon.

    Furthermore, the difficulties with the pay discrimination are grimmer for women of color. Blacks and Latinas are faced with even more startling statistics than white or Asian women. Forbes Magazine reports “African American women make 53 cents on the dollar [made by men] while Hispanic women make only 44 cents”. This massive gap in salaries contributes to the higher poverty rates amid colored families especially when the woman holds the primary income.  The lack of concern amongst the population over this disparity is alarming, however the “big wigs” of business are primarily men, who dominate the field.  

    A common misconception is that the world of business is meant for men. This is fueled by the lack of women in higher up positions within a company.  Troubling statistics of the growth of the gap as salaries increase deter women from continuing to work instead of taking time to raise a family or focus on other aspects of their lives.  A recent study by the Institute of Women’s Policy collected data from a population of women in the workplace and posted their data in the Economist Newspaper:

As women climb up the commercial ladder, the pay deficit only increases. The same study brought to light that 30% of women who supply the main source of income in a household live in poverty. This is not only discouraging but it is also extremely alarming.

These disparities affect almost every woman of every race, whether they work or not. It indirectly reduces the number of women present in the workplace and it impacts whether or not the gap will ever decrease. Forbes reporter Lisa Maatz remarked how "I know my calendar says 2014 but I'm having trouble believing it". The fate of the pay incongruences is ultimately up to women and needs to be left in the past. It has been left up to the men in politics for the past century but for change to happen it has to come directly from the ones who feel the effects of gender pay gaps, the working women of America.

Sources:
"The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Fall 2014)." AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.
"The Awful Truth Behind The Gender Pay Gap." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.

"America's Gender Wage Gap." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

"Charlotte." Charlotte. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.