As culture has progressed to include newfound professional opportunities for women and greater media representation of their accomplishments worldwide, one must ask: when will the economics reflect this increase?
I wonder when the economics will match this increase. Beyond the emotional burden a single mother faces as she works to support her household, the documented gender pay gap causes a limitation of economic growth and damage to social equity. Despite the educational advancements of women throughout the 20th century, there is still a notable disparity in the way we are paid in professional workplaces.
As a young woman at the tail end of her undergraduate studies, I look forward to attending secondary school with the desire to pursue a career that’s considered “white collar”. Statistics from the past 7–10 years show that women earn 20% less globally. Additionally, recent 2024 Pew Research indicates that women earn only 85% of what men earn. I’m deeply disheartened and desire institutional change. The gender pay gap is a multifaceted social problem, and understanding what contributes to it (horizontal/vertical segregation, motherhood penalty, hiring bias) alongside mapping out its historical roots is essential work. Ultimately, research and recognition of the gender pay gap can be informative, yet it will take long-term policy and legal efforts to institute reform for this structural issue.
The gender pay gap, with its financial damage to working women due to discriminatory practices, also garners empathy in the general public. In sociological studies that measure emotional responses as indicators of empathy, hundreds of university students alongside portions of the general public displayed strong empathy in reaction to a scenario documenting a woman’s experience being unequally paid. Many identified anger on the woman’s part as her seeking autonomy and moving with a sense of righteousness. This study demonstrates the genuine concern many individuals show in response to pay inequality.
The gender pay gap emerged after the Industrial Revolution, with women being confined to lower paying jobs. Their income throughout the 20th century was seen as “supplementary”, and even with more educational opportunities the pay gap was still there. This demonstrates that even as women acquire more skills and degrees, a male with the same qualifications will often be considered for higher paying positions than her. In addition,bhorizontal segregation in the workplace concerns women working in different sectors than men.
Most often, women dominate childcare and teaching. These underpaid areas contribute to long-term pay disparity as men dominate higher paying tech and STEM roles. Vertical segregation concerns women and men working side by side in the same fields. Even here, the pay disparity is evident. Women in science, technology, engineering, and math are reported to earn less than male counterparts in recent years.
Many identify the “motherhood penalty” as a barrier to salary increase, promotion, and long-term earnings for women. Women face difficulties returning to the workplace after birth, especially in countries with minimal paid leave and subsidized childcare. The predominance of unpaid labor (ex. household chores, pickup/dropoff from schools, cooking for family) can affect workplace participation and inspire higher ups to unfairly evaluate these female employees.
In a recent testimony by MS NOW employee Josie Cox, she details her experience finding out she was underpaid. Cox, after taking maternity leave, reentered the workforce after being hired for a staff job in a media corporation’s newsroom. Though she did advocate for a mild increase from her previous salary, Cox discovered the male workers she managed were compensated higher than her. Cox experienced fury after processing the fact that instances like these were still occurring in the 21st century. At the end of her testimony she states the importance of enforcing the Equal Pay Act, so scenarios like hers are far and few in between. Facing the reality that women are often underpaid and overworked, women are less likely to negotiate a salary increase due to fear of being seen as “assertive” in the workplace.
So, how can we move beyond simply discussing this issue and actually remedy it?
I believe that with policy implementation and legal regulations long-term sustainable change can occur. Women have made strides since the 20th century in advocating for equal pay, including intersectionality and pay bias being included in conversation due to third wave feminism. The Equal Pay Act of 1963, alongside Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made strides in the legal effort to secure equal pay and equitable workplace treatment. Yet, there are weak points in these acts that allow for pay discrepancy today.
In both the policy and legal realm, proper enforcement of equal pay, compliance in corporate spaces, better mentorship programs to build female executives, implementing gender quotas, and solid Affirmative Action efforts can create change. Showcasing transparency in
compensation and diversity, equity, and inclusion reports, company regulations, and safe reporting systems that detail when pay discrepancy is occurring will also help remedy this social problem. At the university level, I believe that classes which outline the historical journey of gendered pay discrepancy and show statistics over time will help bring about a factual understanding of the issue. Plenty of young college-age individuals feel called to recognize the impact of the gender pay gap and want to work to remedy it. When educated people are armored with factual information, I feel there is a greater chance for actionable change to occur and unity in decision making.
College-age women should feel empowered and optimistic about entering the workforce.
The more we have to self-advocate, the less we have time to develop proficiency for our life’s work. Let’s let the policy and legal frameworks mandate change and encourage our employers to compensate us fairly, and we’ll focus on mastery in our careers.
