The Gender Pay Gap - Essay Example

Gender and Income Some people were aware of the gender pay gap while the others were not. The responses received from the ones who were aware of this phenomenon lead to the conclusion that people with at least 10 years of work experience were more aware of gender pay gap compared to others. Of those, women were more aware of gender pay gap than men. While some young workers with less than 10 years of experience also knew what the term means, not many among them reported having witnessed it in the workplace. This can be attributed to the fact that they have not yet spent enough time working in the industry to see gender pay gap prevailing before their own eyes. Awareness regarding gender pay gap was almost similar in the male and female young workers unlike the older workers among whom women were more aware of the term. Some elderly men complained that gender pay gap is not realistic and that the arguments regarding its presence are fueled by women rights’ activists and social welfare agencies. One of the respondents said that a man who is less skilled than another man and is thus getting paid lesser would not complain, but a woman who is less skilled than another man and is thus getting paid lesser would complain and accuse the employer of supporting gender pay gap. Many older female respondents said that while gender gap exists at all levels, it is only the salary in which it is the most apparent because it can be quantified. They thus suggest that actual gender gap is much wider than the one gauged through only gender pay gap. Also, “those who take a broader view of discrimination argue that the unexplained portion of the wage gap may underestimate the true extent of discrimination because all choices that lead to particular fields of study, careers, …are influenced by past as well as current discrimination” (Sussman et al. 538). The native respondents were more familiar with the term ‘gender pay gap’ compared to the foreign students and immigrants. Three of the respondents were not familiar with the term. When the term was explained to one of these respondents who had come for higher studies to this country from Bangladesh, she was shocked and displeased to find that such a thing exists in this society as well. She said that she had come with very high hopes of establishing herself in this country after completing her studies and prayed that were hopes would be actually realized. Another male immigrant who was in the final year of his undergraduate studies and did not know about the term originally was somewhat pleased to find out that gender pay gap might exist in this society after he was explained what the term means. Being a man, he saw a benefit in gender pay gap. Although apparently he said that gender pay gap is discrimination and is thus wrong, the cunning smile he was trying to hide suggested he did not feel what he was saying. The third respondent who did not know about the term was a 45 year old woman who had migrated from India. She was taken aback to find out gender pay gap might be existing in this country. She said she was worried about her daughter who is trying hard to find a good employment opportunity in this country. The reasons for gender pay gap are social, economic, and political. In spite of the fact that women have never been as empowered throughout the history as they are today, gender pay gap continues to exist in many organizations. “In Europe as a whole, there is evidence that the progressive closing of the gender gap in education and experience has not led to a significant closing of the gender pay gap” (Glover and Kirton 43). The social reason for the existence of gender pay gap is the stereotypical image of women as the weaker sex. Women are considered weaker because of being physically less powerful than men. The same physical delicacy is assumed to reflect in their thought process and their ability to make rational and informed decisions is underestimated. A prominent factor contributing to gender pay gap is the widely known and accepted fact that female workers cannot reach their optimal productivity as they have to take care of their domestic responsibilities in addition to their work responsibilities (Riordan and Wambach 552). This is the economic reason for the existence of gender pay gap because the employers translate the level of productivity of a worker into his/her compensation. The political reason for the existence of gender pay gap is the desire and urge to maintain the male dominance in the society. Money is the single most powerful factor that determines the dominance of gender in the society as “human capital is also a major determinant of gender pay gaps” (Blau and Kahn 230). Among other factors, the fact that men are wealthier and financially more stable than women is also the reason why they are in charge of the women. A system of equal pay for equal work will change the American culture and social structure of America for the better. Distribution of wealth is one of the most fundamental factors that play a decisive role in the development of balance and stability in the society. Gender pay gap is essentially a form of discrimination as it paves way for differential treatment of people because of their gender, which is something beyond the control of an individual. Gender pay gap is one of the reasons men outnumber women in the workforce. Many women want to work but gender pay gap reminds them that the workplace is not where they belong as they are second class workers there. A system of equal pay will serve to motivate more women to join the workforce and compete with men. As a result, not only will the level of satisfaction and happiness of the women will be increased, but also even men will feel liberated as the financial burden on their shoulders as the single earner for the whole family will be relieved. Works Cited: Blau, Francine D., and Kahn, Lawrence M. At Home and Abroad: U.S. Labor Market Performance in International Perspective. Russell Sage Foundation, 2002. Print. Glover, Judith; and Kirton, Gill. Women’s Employment. Routledge, 2006. Print. Riordan, Jan; and Wamback, Karen. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010. Print. Sussman, Marvin B. et al. Handbook of Marriage and the Family. Springer Science & Business Media, 1999. Print. Read More