You’re working the same job as man, putting in the same hours and the same effort, but something is off. What’s off is your paycheck. It seems a little light, and that is not because it’s paper. It is light because every dollar a man earns, working full-time year-round, a woman, working the same, makes $0.76, according to the Institute For Women’s Policy Research.
I do not know about you, but I am angered at this. Raged. Women have always been seen as subordinates to men in first world culture. Unlike the Vikings, which actually valued women’s roles as the bread earners and heads of houses. For hundreds of years, women were not allowed to work. Now that we are, we are still seen as less than a man.
Doing the same exact job at the same exact pace, we still make 20% less than a man. However, this is not always the case. Some women put in more effort than their male counterpart, yet get paid less. The opposite could occur where a man could put in more effort than their female counterpart; however, they still make more money than their lazy female counterpart. Either way, the female makes less money despite her work ethic.
The arguments against bridging the pay gap usually lie in the issue of maternity leave. It is argued that with maternity leave, women make the same as men. But what about the women who take the path toward a career, and never have a child? Where is their lesser pay caught up?
Everyone is different. They suffer unique situations that account for many excuses as to why women should make less, or more. There is no perfect answer to bridging the gap. There will always be reasons why to do something and why not to do something. The point is, that something should be done. There is no need for a standstill because either side will be unhappy with the outcome. There is need for action.
As our awareness of the inequality grows, we females are working hard toward bridging that pay gap! We have not let it stop us, and we never will. One day, women and men will be paid the same for the same jobs. We women will continue to strive! We have fought many battles and won many wars. Women have not allowed themselves to be oppressed for too long. The more we have become aware of our oppression, the more we have fought. We are career driven, hard-working, intelligent, and capable of anything. We can end the inequalities one issue at a time. Women, if there is one thing you take away from all of this, it is that you ask for that raise and you work hard at your job/career to get what you deserve! Fight for your rights, and never let someone tell you “No.”