The Wage Gap & Inequality in Workplaces

Women have had restricted resources and education opportunities, yet have fought through the obstacles to make up a trifling 28% in STEM occupations. Why is this not accounted for when contemplating the wage gap, sexual harassment, and those who hold executive positions?

The gender wage gap is disregarded as people tend to turn a blind eye to it. This issue undeviatingly increases as women climb the career ladder and, on average, earn more degrees than males. The wage gap is an explicit example of misogyny in the workplace as for every dollar a male earns, a woman receives 82 cents. Why is the wage gap so prominent today, even though the evidence is right in front of us? Teaching and nursing are heavily female-dominated subjects but the male equivalents will have a 10-15% greater salary. Some proclaim that women deserve lower wages as a consequence of making up 57% of part-time jobs. The other 43% is insignificant since males allegedly are more “meritorious” and “dominant”. An inverse relationship exists when comparing each gender's relations with children. The more children a female has, the lower her salary, whereas the more children a male has, the higher his salary. There is a 7% wage reduction per child a female has, the argument being a female has to spend more time with the kids. No one takes notice of the reality of paternal bonding being equally important to maternal bonding. The wage gap remains notable and consequential today due to male chauvinism, stereotyping, and bias.

54% of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, whether it be carnal comments or actions. 95% of those men went unpunished and continued to make venereal advances. The statistics are heinous, one in three women are harassed at work leading to depression and anxiety. These side effects ultimately lead to minimized productivity and a decline in job satisfaction. Not to mention a lower incentive to fight for and negotiate the wage gap & salary. To counter the argument, women work part-time or lesser earning jobs than males, women are also 6.5 times more likely to change to a substandard, unsatisfactory workplace to escape from their harassers. The work environments permeated by sexual harassers constrain women to leave, exacerbating the gender difference in high-grade jobs.

Experteer magazine breaks down why women are not in high management and power positions in a few brief points. While women are more ambitious and progressive in their careers, they are deferred by already existing stereotypes and biases. When males are commended on their inspiring, visionary words, women are characterized as deceitful and assertive. People still believe ladies belong in the kitchen and men belong at work. A woman doing a “man’s job” is frowned upon. Companies anticipate the priority to be work. These same companies believe that women are more likely to want to spend time with their family and children than men. Individuals still refuse to accept women who can work while taking care of loved ones. Lastly, earlier generations have been taught to teach people of their own gender and grew up with clichés of men being qualified to be in leadership positions. Since the masses of the elderly are reluctant to educate young females, young men are more likely to achieve what they want in the workplace.

To conclude, change is compulsory for equal rights in the workplace. Gender discrimination still prevails and it is imperative to give women and men equivalent windows of opportunity.

By Riya Kadakia

SOURCES

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/an-economist-explains-why-women-get-paid-less/

https://iwpr.org/issue/employment-education-economic-change/pay-equity-discrimination/

https://www.inc.com/magazine/201804/minda-zetlin/sexual-harassment-workplace-policy-metoo.html

https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/fair-pay/sexual-harassment-and-the-gender-wage-gap.pdf