Gender Wage Gap Essay Example

perspective disregards women who choose to work full-time after taking a break or opt for part-time employment. Consequently, these women often face the challenge of accepting lower wages compared to their male counterparts. Even women without families may sometimes be seen as potential mothers and could be denied promotions or higher salaries. These biased perspectives unconsciously impact our perception of wage rates.

To illustrate this point, let's consider a conversation between a mother and her 20-year-old daughter working in the education sector. The mother expressed concerns about teacher applicants, noting that both male and female candidates were equally exceptional but had their genders viewed as the only distinguishing factor. As expected, the daughter questioned why it mattered. In response, the mother explained that if she selected a young woman for the position, there was concern she would soon leave to marry and start a family. On the other hand, they believed that the young man would require a higher salary to support his family since a teacher's salary wouldn't be enough.
The daughter was taken aback and disturbed by her mother's open expression of thoughts. Curious about the possibility of gender discrimination in the workplace, she asked her mother if employers could discriminate based on gender when she begins working. She conveyed her dissatisfaction with this unfairness, especially since she had no plans to have children but is still unjustly linked to all women in the workforce.

Initially, the daughter disagreed with her mother's biased and unfair viewpoint. However, she later realized that her mother's arguments were valid and offered a more comprehensive understanding of people's genuine thoughts. The text highlights the challenges women face in

their professional lives even before they can demonstrate their abilities. It also emphasizes that achieving gender equality at work has been a gradual process over time. Despite some individuals advocating for equal treatment of men and women, research shows an inequitable pay gap between genders when performing identical roles.

Despite women now outnumbering men in university graduates and performing better in school (Buchmann, 2006), there is still a wage gap. However, progress has been made over the years in closing this gap. In 2009, a study found that women earn 80% of what men earn one year after college graduation (Day and Hill, 2007). Despite increased education levels among women, equal pay has not yet been achieved. The diagram below shows salary data from 1955 to 2012, illustrating the trends in wages by gender according to the US Labor of Statistics.

Women's earnings, 1955–2012.

According to statistical data, education is a determining factor in income as higher degrees are linked to higher salaries. The presented data reveals that men consistently earn more than women across all categories.The data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' report titled "Women's Earnings and Employment by Industry, 2009," published on February 16, 2011, reveals the median weekly earnings for women and men based on their degree. The earnings are categorized into Doctoral, Professional, Master's, Bachelor's, Associate's, and High school graduate without college degrees.

Despite attempts to downplay its importance, the notion that women's career choices play a role in gender pay inequality is frequently mentioned. Nevertheless, a recent study demonstrates that even when women select fields typically dominated by men such as business, engineering, mathematics, and medicine, the

wage gap persists. It is noteworthy that the discrepancy in salaries is particularly noticeable in biology, health, and mathematics. The only professions where women earn more than men are history and social services.

A study found that female graduates are more prone to accepting the compensation they receive upon entering their careers. Research indicates a significant gender difference in the willingness to negotiate, with women being less likely than men to engage in negotiations for better initial compensation offers (Bloomberg Law reports, 2013). The report reveals that only 7% of female students attempted negotiation compared to 57% of male students. This reluctance among women to initiate negotiations may contribute significantly to the gender pay gap, as highlighted by Bowles, Babcock, and Lai (Bloomberg Law reports, 2013). Ultimately, this lack of negotiation leads to lower salaries.

The issue being discussed is whether maintaining the secrecy of salaries can address the gender pay disparity. Some individuals support this viewpoint, contending that if income remains confidential, wage inequality would be less pronounced. Nevertheless, I hold a different opinion and find it problematic when employers forbid employees from discussing their salaries. I strongly advocate for equitable compensation for all individuals, regardless of their ethnicity or gender.

In conclusion,

In conclusion, the gender wage gap cannot be attributed to differences in skills, experience, education, or personal choices. Although there has been progress for female college graduates and discrimination has decreased gradually, women still earn less than men. The underlying causes of this inequality, such as bias and varying levels of motivation, are challenging to accurately measure. It is predicted that the gender disparity will continue in

the future. While passing more legislation or bills in congress could help hold companies accountable for unfair pay practices towards women, ultimately it is the responsibility of each individual to ensure fair treatment for all.