Here’s a quick fact to begin with: Women in the United States of America make 78 cents less as opposed to men. This is particularly sad because it has been more than four decades since the passage of the Equal Pay Act. One thing which is clear here is the fact that women are clearly at an economic disadvantage.
Adding to the woes, this fact doesn’t seem restricted to only the US. It remains largely the same throughout the world. Women are paid less than their male counterparts. Two questions that arise here are ‘why' and ‘what are the implications.' While the former one demands a lot of psychological factors, let’s try addressing the latter one with a more practical and thoughtful approach. The reason we need to address it is that it demands attention and moreover, a solution.
So, here’s why women who earn less than men should be getting equal pay. The pestering problem needs to be solved because everyone should get what they deserve and gender should never be a barrier.
#1.Women Have Families Too
We all know that there are a lot of single moms in the US. In fact, the US is the home to more single moms than anywhere else in the world. So, these women have families and no man to look after it. The entire responsibility of looking after a family rests on the shoulder of individual women and a lower pay only adds up to the miseries further. If we had to bring in statistics, if every woman is paid equal to men, it would increase the average salary of women by 13.4%. This is an enormous and meaningful leap. If equal pay is ensured, it will give women the ability to provide necessary support to their families that include food, education, clothing, and schooling.
(Image Courtesy: Huffington Post)
#2.Perks Are Unequal Too
We all appreciate our mothers for the beautiful human beings they are. However, on the professional front, there seems to be an apparent lack of appreciation for a woman’s efforts. They earn less, to begin with, and lower perks add to their miseries even further. Stats show that there is an $8000 gap between men and women’s incomes after retirement. In a scenario like this, how can we expect and encourage women to excel in their fields when we are not providing them with the same resources as men?
(Image Courtesy: Huffington Post)
#3.More Men Lose Jobs
According to the latest reports, the unemployment rate of men at 7.2% is far higher than women at 5.9%. Hence, naturally, more and more men are turning towards women to make ends meets. The problem here is that most of the sectors that men lose jobs from largely employ only men. Hence, it becomes challenging for women to provide for their families if the man in the house loses his job.
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#4.It Discourages Education In Women
To get any college degree, women and men spend the same amount of money and other resources. However, once they step into the professional world, the returns that get for their education is not the same. For instance, if a woman spends a lot of money on her education but gets a low-paying job, it would become tough for her suffice for the economic gap. As a result of this, more and more women would get discouraged to take up higher education, and no nation wants that.
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#5.Women Are Worth It
Let’s end the discussion by something that we all know. As an employee, women are capable of the same things as their male counterparts if not more. There seems to be no reason why them being a woman should ever be a deciding factor of money they make. Paying women less might feed the patriarchal world, but it also paves the way for a misogynistic society, and we don’t want that. Women should be paid equally because it is right for them and their families along with the nation and its economy. Women should be paid equally not because they’re women, but because they deserve every penny that they earn.
(Image Courtesy: SoulSpot)
Do you think women should be paid equal to their male counterparts? Let us know in the comments below.
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