Professional Documents
Culture Documents
McKenzie Ecrement
Mrs. Barnes
English 112
15 May 2017
Many employees have been pondering the issue of the gender pay gap and what impact it
plays on women and the society. This relates more towards women than men, however the world
needs both genders to make a difference. Although many individuals dismiss the idea of a big
pay gap between males and females, it is indeed a real issue that needs to be addressed.
The gender pay gap for equal work is certainly not a new topic. At one period in time, it
would be very uncommon for women to go out and take part in any workforce. The stereotype of
woman staying at home and doing the chores began forming. People often portrayed women as
housewives that cooked and cleaned, while men worked and supported the family. This
stereotype lasted for many years but had one big breaking point. During World War Two and
especially after, many mothers and wives had no choice but to go out and work. Many nurses
were needed, and many factory jobs needed filled. Factory owners would hire woman because
they could pay them less for doing equal work. This is one major turning point of when the issue
of the gender pay gap began. In 1964 an act was passed that was meant to help with this issue.
The Equal Pay Act stated that for the same work you couldn't pay women less. Many business
owners found ways around this though. They would put ads in the paper for workers wanted.
Males had there own column and women had their own column for the job listings. Business
owners would add the same job under each column but list it under different names. This way
Ecrement2
they could pay women less but technically they were doing the same job as the male, only named
different. Typically woman would earn fifty nine cents for every sixty four cents that men made
(Pay 1). The gap may not be seen as a huge difference at the time, but over time the income
Professionals are trying to be close the gap more every year but it is still significant in
some industries. Many feminists play a role in trying to create equality. More women are
involved in this issue than men, however, some men want to see a change as well. Especially
men with their wives and daughters in the business field. According to author Rowen, the older
you are, the bigger the difference is in your pay(Attorneys 1). Along with age and gender, race
plays a role too. In 2014, Hispanic and Latina women earned just 54% of what white men
earned,(Bates 1). Different aspects affect how much men will earn annually. Various fields
create various earnings as well as the state they are working in. In an interview I conducted with
a male business owner in Perry Township, one can recognize how location and field matters.
According to Ty Fusko, the field does affect the salary between male and females. I definitely
see a pay difference in my field of car auto body. Men are just more likely to succeed . It sounds
bad saying that but it is just the truth. This supports my argument that the field truly does
matter.
There are many reasons why people would say the gender pay gap is an issue. It has an
enormous impact on the ability for woman to pay off student debt (Ecrement). It also provides a
burden on on single moms trying to provide for them and their children. Imagine your own
mother having to pick up a second job to make ends meet because she is getting a smaller
Ecrement3
paycheck than a man that is doing the same job. Something needs to be done for the working
woman, not only in the United States but for women worldwide.
Although there is proof that the gender pay gap does exist, one can look at it from
different perspectives. If an individual were a business owner you would do anything in your
power to pay the least amount possible to your employees. Obviously if there is a way around
spending less money, the owners will do that no matter what gender you are. Also some people
state that they believe men get more work done and work harder than women in their jobs. It is a
far off statement and somewhat sexist but some people truly believe this. Even though the pay
The government is a key player that women need on their side if they want to see any
change. Instead of the faulty Equal Pay Act that has consistently had problems, we need a new
solution. Something groundbreaking and straightforward. A law or bill that tells the business
owners that unequal pay will not be tolerated. The government needs to make sure that there are
no cracks in the law. No ways around it like there have been in the past. Employers have been
stretching the rules for years and the punishments need to be more significant. Unequal pay is
unfair, and it needs stopped. Woman and men need to come together and fix this issue. First,
they need to realize that the problem does exist and can be fixed. Next, they need to push for new
laws and bills to be formed. Lastly, they need to stick behind their thoughts and stand up for
what's right.
If society is able to stop this issue right now, they will be able to focus on worse
problems and work on creating more equality for everyone. This might not happen overnight but
I believe in the close future we can bring this issue to a close. Now that you are more informed
Ecrement4
on the gender pay gap, I hope you don't just overlook it, but you take the steps into your own
Works Cited
"Attorneys move to close pay gap for women in law." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review [Pittsburgh,
galegroup.com/apps/doc/A181221218/OVIC?u=mass12242&xid=550f7478. Accessed
25 Dec. 2016.
Bates. "Women Can't Wait Until 2059 For Equal Pay." Google. Google, n.d. Web. 15 May
2017.
"The Pay Gap for Women." New York Times, 30 July 2016, p. A20(L). Opposing Viewpoints in
Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A459479452/OVIC?u=mass12242&xid=49fef915.