The Gender Pay Gap
In this day and age which is supposedly all about equality, fairness and human rights, it’s shocking (or is it?) to find out the gender pay gap still exists. And to a massive degree!
On average, the gender pay gap currently stands at 15%… or 18% depending on which source you’re looking at. But either way, that’s a big number!
Surely in the 21st century, whether you have a pair of boobs or a different appendage dangling between your legs shouldn’t determine how much you are paid! I have no idea where intersexual people and hermaphrodites come into this equation. Should they get paid more for having both bits? No, of course not, it’s preposterous!
Two people doing the same job – regardless of whether they are black, white, ugly, stunning, male, female, or even aliens – should be paid the same. Makes sense, right? Or is there something else to this heinous discrimination that’s taking place?
“Gender pay gap? More like Motherhood pay gap!”
There is a debate going on right now whether the gender pay gap actually exists (or should I say gender pay discrimination) or is it something more accurately coined: “The Motherhood Pay Gap.”
Nobody is disagreeing with the raw data: men get paid more than women, but there are lots of variables that come into this fact. Often, it is marriage and more especially the having of children that leads to what everyone refers to as the gender pay gap. It’s obviously hard to be paid for a job that you’ve not done because you can’t (through no fault of your own ladies. I’m not saying don’t get pregnant; I know the human race has a lot to answer for but I don’t think we’re ready to be extinct just yet!) In fact, I like to think of it this way: the person that is due to find the cure for cancer could be in someone’s uterus right now. Someone who is being unfairly paid because she is mothering the child who could potentially save a lot of the human race! Fair? No!
Would it not be simpler to directly compensate women for the income they forgo by having children? Because I am pretty sure we want the species and the country to continue into the future, and since biology has made only one of the sexes able to do this (with minor assistance from the other, of course) then the rest of us should just suck up the cost for the greater good. Unfortunately though I have no power over this, but if you’re reading this and you do: sort it out!
The glass ceiling effect
One of the main problems is that women struggle to stand up for themselves in today’s society (through no fault of their own.) This is because of the way they are brought up. Little girls are taught to be nurturing and caring: they play with dolls and babies and pretend kitchen cooking sets which just enforces the image of “how a woman should be.” Even at this delicate young age they are being brain washed into behaving a certain way. Boys on the other hand are taught to be competitive and that they should strive to be the best. Mainly through playing sports, but most activities that young boys indulge in require a degree of competitiveness, even a game of tag. Ever seen a bunch of 7 year old boys in a disagreement about tag? It can get real rowdy, to say the least.
And this doesn’t do well for women’s beliefs towards work. A particular woman could be the most intelligent, hard working person in the office but if she is scared to bring up “sensitive issues” (such as asking for a pay rise) she will never climb higher up the hierarchy. There’s the saying “nice girls don’t ask.” Well then ladies, don’t be nice! Voice your opinion; you’re a strong independent woman! You’ve got to ask for what you want. People can’t know what you want just by looking at you!
This partly contributes to “The glass ceiling effect.” The glass ceiling effect is an unacknowledged (by some) barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and minorities. The problem is that women complain that they feel undervalued, overlooked, or undermined… but sometimes that’s all they do about it: complain! In fact that’s all women do, period. No, I’m joking!! Don’t bite my head off!
If you want to be taken seriously, you have to stand up for yourself. Treat people how you expect to be treated and refuse to cower to those that try to intimidate you. Women can be naturally as aggressive and competitive as men but society teaches women to not use these attributes and discourages them from standing up for themselves. Refuse to tolerate the intolerable!
In my personal opinion, the glass ceiling should be treated as a myth (just like unicorns, dragons and women that don’t complain). It merely exists in your head, rather and than above it. But even if it does, grab your lovely pink helmet (oh wait, that’s being gender specific isn’t it? Choose whatever colour you wish) and smash through it head first!