Gender Pay Inequality Essay

merely serves as a means to end the enduring national purpose of equal opportunity for all Americans (Johnson 64).” In these words, it is indicative that the core purpose of the establishment of affirmative action was based on the need to ensure that all Americans had access to equal opportunities. Judging of public policies happens as a result of intent, the outcome as well as the message from various public policies. The laws together with the executive orders used in creating the affirmative were sound as it aimed at giving women and minority groups’ access to educational as well as occupational opportunities that were previously missing to them (Johnson 64). These opportunities missed either as a result of present discrimination or because of the existence of effects emanating from past discriminative practices. Although there are mixed views regarding the outcomes of affirmative action programs, it is evident that they have equally led to adverse actions in respect to gender pay.

Adverse effects emanating from affirmative action happen because the legislation creates winners and losers while equally breeding resentment between the minority groups and the majority whites and the minority blacks, males, and females of various ethnic groups. Whites and males have experienced obstacles in earning a job, promotion or even admission to different organizations based on the proposals of affirmative action. Such approaches make those missing on significant opportunities keep thinking of the possibility of different outcomes if policies based on race and gender were non-existent. The natural reaction from those fail to acquire opportunities due to the existence of such policies is resentment as they perceive such individuals and groups as favored by these policies

(Johnson 315). On the other hand, individuals and groups that benefit from these policies assume that it was unlikely for them to earn a promotion or the job at hand if it were not for their gender, race or ethnicity.

While recognizing the requirements of regulations like the affirmative action, politicians mostly from the dominant white majority have taken advantage by using laws that aim at keeping minorities and especially women down. Attaining these goals happens by ensuring that women work in un-unionized fields. According to Fredrickson (43), “the majority of women continue to work in industries and jobs that are un-unionized and as a result, earn lower wages.” The amount earned by women in these industries is lower while compared to those earned by either their female counterparts mostly from the majority white communities or men that possess the same or even fewer qualifications, but work in unionized industries. Some of the notable examples fields of employment excluded by the U.S government or rather guarded by weak laws where the majority that works in these fields are women comprise of pre-school teachers, hairdressers, caregivers and restaurant workers. Although women working in these fields work for the same or even more hours than their male counterparts, the government neglects them by failing to provide them with the same benefits and job security possessed by men.

Since a majority of women and most notably those from minority communities occupy fields that fail to receive legal protections, it becomes very easy for their employers to exploit and underpay them. Even in situations where protective laws are present, it becomes very easy for the employers to ignore the laws based

on the fact of the existence of little or no enforcement. Therefore, other than only dominating the workforce with low-wage, women and most specifically women of color, serve as the majority in the unregulated and also the minimally regulated industries. The facts possess a growing relevance based on the fact that the group working in these industries is not only large currently, but serves as the future direction that more women will hold in the coming future (Fredrickson 49). Forecasts regarding job growth portray that in future, the U.S will experience the biggest increase in the employment categories that has low pay with women currently dominating these positions.

Furthermore, men continually experience problems as a result of the existing legislations regarding gender-based employment. Men face the same challenges experienced by women based on the fact that they are always being shut out of manufacturing employment industries that possess decent wages. As a result, millions of American males face working conditions that were initially considered as females’ lives characterized by low wages, part-time together with temporary jobs as well as minimal benefits. Consequently, as with the traditional aspect where women experienced periods of joblessness, the same happens for men within the U.S today. “As such, poverty currently tends to take a de-feminized approach based on the fact that the working conditions of most men continually become feminized (Fredrickson 53).” Again, the shape of families has changed in the recent past with wages earned by women becoming necessary in enhancing families to remain afloat. Therefore, based on the fact that the sectors of the workforce dominated by women are less covered by protective laws or in other areas

lack covering, it signifies families are suffering altogether. The past family lifestyle where men served as the sole providers of the family where they met all the expenses no longer exists. The importance of wages earned by women even proves far much necessary for the low-income earning families those classified in the income of twenty percent or below. In such families, more than sixty-five percent of women provide equal or even more family contributions regarding wages while compared to their husbands.

It is not a surprise that single mothers face significant challenges as a result of the fewer wage earned and the consequent family demands. Statistics reveal that over seventy-five percent of women in high-income employment are in a marriage or are in a relationship with a partner on full-time employment. However, the situation is very contrasting with the percentage of women in low-income income in such conditions comprising only of fourteen percent. In families where women serve as the sole earners, the families comprise the largest part of the poor segment of the economy. Studies reveal that the number of single working mothers with children aged below the age of eighteen years doubled from 1970 through 2009. Currently, almost four out of ten mothers within the U.S serve as the sole breadwinners of their families. As a result, the number of poor children from single-mother families has continually increased from twenty-four percent in 1959 that fell below the poverty line to fifty-five percent in 2010 where children living with single mothers gained classification as poor (Fredrickson 187). In other collected statistics in 2009, twenty- eight percent of the number of unmarried women with children and

were working fell below the poverty line while in comparison to only eight percent of all the other working women. These statistics signifies the adverse impacts of the underpayment of women to children within the U.S and the future of the nation as a whole.

Consequently, families and women that possess some job protections and equally in possession of two incomes, most fail to possess a family leave either in the form of paid or unpaid leave. For most of the low-income earners within the U.S, the cost of child care becomes quite staggering right from the early days, through the education programs and private care. It is surprising that the cost of child care almost equals that of college tuition while the quality of the facilities used in education programs as well as the teachers remaining suspicious. All the disposable income of most families where women work in less paying environments is spent on child rearing. As a result, these families continually remain poor not only as a consequence of the low wages earned but equally due to exploitation by the existing policies of education (Billitteri 268).

Some observers regarding the existing gender pay inequalities argue that ending the problem is the only attainable by eliminating the affirmative action policy. One of the notable supporters of elimination of the affirmative action policy is Cornnerly. In his speech on 30th April 1996, Connerly presents a contrasting view to that raised by Clinton by holding on the importance of putting an end to affirmative action. It is important to note that Connerly agrees on the notion that the affirmative action has played a significant role in opening up

opportunities for members of the minority groups that were initially dis-integrated. Connerly argues that it is time to put an end to the policy as the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights have successfully taken the role of affirmative policy. In supporting his argument, Connerly asserts that “the past is a ghost that can destroy our future.” In the statement, Connerly recognizes the flaws of the past that the African Americans and other minority groups underwent in the hands of the majority whites but holds that relying on those past experiences may limit the future capabilities. He intends to portray that despite all the atrocities that the minority communities or the less dominant members and women, in that case, faced at the hands of majority communities or under male leadership, changes within the society has led to elimination of such practices and the American Society is new where equal opportunity for all is not only recognized by the constitutional bodies but equally by the American culture.

Women for so long have been undermined in the society that some of these laws such as of the equality in pay have caught them off guard. Most of the empowered ladies put in the top most positions are found to have no clue as to how to stand on their feet. Men unfortunately sit back watching from a distance as the drama unfolds, faulting the law as to putting people undeserving of certain positions in high places. This is out rightly wrong; we should always build each other up- ethics need to be up held to the later. In order to give morale to these outstanding women who take

the empowerment by the law positively, we should seek to assist them in whatsoever way possible. Hoping for them to fail is just being dumb and foolish and should be considered an enemy of progress.

According to Connerly, America is a religious culture directed by the virtue of, “doing unto others as you would love them do unto you.” In his views, virtually all the religious faiths within the U.S uphold to the importance of engaging in actions that a person would love if they happened unto them. As such, other than the constitutional requirements, the societal believes further support the importance of equal opportunity for all and evidence to such achievement is already proven. In Connerly’s views, affirmative action was meant to serve as a temporary approach whose aim was to serve as a stronger dose towards equal opportunity among individuals. As such, the prescription should have expired at a period when the body polity achieved full development to sufficient immunity against the virus of discrimination and prejudice. The intentions of the affirmative action were based on a moral goal as opposed to harming the innocent people. Concerning the state of California, Connerly portrays how affirmative action has served as a tool of racial and gender preferences. These gender and racial preferences are depicted in job soliciting that happens with an explicit knowledge that a specific position is on offer for a specific gender from a particular community. Furthermore, contracts are set aside for specific groups, while at the same time taxpayers contributing to a tax on affirmative action. As a result, contractors’ benefits from schemes by setting women-owned business as well as a minority

owned business to front the businesses owned by the white majority with an aim of benefiting from minority set-asides. In essence, the dominant wealthy whites end up benefiting as a result of these policies other than the targeted groups. Men equally fall victims of the policies irrespective of their culture whether from the dominant white society or from the minority groups where women are accorded preferences in the workplace at the expense of men.

In Fredrickson’s views, it is possible to put an end to the issue of gender pay inequality by fixing the shortcomings evidenced in the country’s policies regarding workers. One of the notable ways of addressing the gender pay gap issue is eliminating the tipping paid jobs and also raising the minimum wage for workers in such industries and equally provides these workers with a guaranteed wages percentage. Another notable approach of eliminating the challenge relates to the redefinition of the concept ‘worker’ by lawmakers to entail the meaning of modern standards. Basing on the current standards, a worker refers to an individual earning a specified wage, a member of a union and also a person entitled to leave benefits among others. The lawmakers should introduce new legislations that will cover all employees and employers irrespective of the size of business or the number of workforces. The concepts of racism, sexism as well as discrimination found within the various legislations most notably the affirmative action should face elimination to ensure a level playing ground for every societal member within the U.S. The establishments of laws that prescribe certain aspects within the society serve in benefiting and at the same time humiliating others. It

is ironical that these policies like the affirmative action humiliate the same group of persons it was meant to protect.
Conclusively, gender gap inequality has failed to close for most women at work within the U.S due to the existing policies and legislations that favor some groups at the expense of others. Addressing the issue will not happen by leaning in, but rather by eliminating the existing policies and establishing inclusive policies. The lawmakers need to abolish policies like the affirmative action that deals with issues like discrimination and gender priorities and adopt others that are inclusive for all members irrespective of their industry or environment of work. Women have fallen victim to unequal pay due to subjection in fields that are un-unionized that leads to negative impacts to families of the minority groups as they form the largest part of the low-income earners. Men equally face adverse impacts because of the existing policies as they stand to lose employment opportunities to women on the basis of gender.

Works Cited

1. Barreto, Manuela C, Michelle K. Ryan, and Michael T. Schmitt. The Glass Ceiling in the 21st Century: Understanding Barriers to Gender Equality. Washington: American Psychological Assn., 2009; 91-111. Print.
2. Billitteri, Thomas J. Gender Pay Gap. Washington: CQ Press, 2008, 48, 267-268. Print.
3. Connerly, Ward. “With Liberty and Justice for All,” Speech to the Heritage Foundation (April 30, 1996).
4. Fredrickson, Caroline. Under the Bus: How Working Women Are Being Run Over. New York: New Press, The, 2015; 33-97, 129-216. Print.
5. Johnson, John W, and Robert P. Green. Affirmative Action. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Press/ABC-CLIO, 2009, 64, 315-319. Print.