Wage Gap: Choices VS Gender

               Women have always been at what seems to be a disadvantage when it comes to men. I am here to prove that wrong. Women are fierce. Women are powerful. Most importantly, women are equal. We strive to bluntly point out all that is wrong in life- it comes all too natural. There are far too many unions and protests going on surrounding this idea that women are being paid at a lesser rate than men. This is upsetting! Clearly, there must be some underlying truth as to why this is going on. As a women, this urges me to look into the matter even more.                                                          

           

              This past week, we have been taught that women are only paid around seventy-seven cents to every dollar that men make. This wage gap, though it has lessened over the years, still decreases the yearly salary for the female population. This form of oppression can be explained by Learned Liberty's Youtube video, Do Women Earn Less than Men?

               Factors including human capital, education, experience, knowledge, and job skills are associated with the type of occupations individuals possess. The concept of women baring children and having to raise a family is an enormous factor in salary range. "Pink Collar" jobs, or the unpaid labor associated with housework, is often dominated by the women in the household. As shown in the video, most women tend to take part-time jobs over full-time. This allows for more time to manage a household, a family, or any duties that need taken care of regarding "women work" (i.e. grocery shopping, gardening, etc.). All of these side jobs take away from a woman's relationship with her job. She is not distracted by outside factors, but the effort being put towards a high-paid occupation decrease immensely.      

               My mother was an employee of Wells Fargo for numerous years prior to me and my sister's birth. She made a sufficient amount of money and overall felt very happy at work. The giant interference with work and her "pink collar" duties at home left her unemployed all through my childhood and my brother's birth as well. When my mom went back to look for work, there were none that allowed enough flexibility for her to keep family as her first priority. Ultimately, she ended up taking an aid position within one of the school district's medically fragile classrooms. Family is important; we can all understand that from one degree to another. My mother, my poor mother, saw a massive decrease in her salary... making our lives a bit more stressful. However, we are not alone. Majority of school nurses, administration, teachers, custodial staff, and lunch staff are female! After all, the position of "lunch staff" is more or less referred to as "lunch ladies"! It honestly seems like the most suiting job when you are trying to find compatible hours to that of your children's.  

               All of these things create a sense of oppression that might not even be there. I fully believe in capability ranging person-to-person, though I have to argue against the stereotype of women making less money than men do. I very much agree with Learned Liberty's video. Not only do I feel less handicapped (and almost fearing) for my future, but I now understand that my salary will not be cut simply because I am female. I feel reassured, as I hope most other women do!