In 2008, women still earned only 77 cents on the male dollar according to the latest census statistics. For African American women and Latinas, that number drops to 68% and 58%. There are signs of some progress. President Obama's first bill as president was targeted towards the wage gap. However, it has been nearly half a century since paying a a person based on his or her sex was outlawed so why is there still a discrepancy between men and women? The answer to this varies depending on who is asked. One reason suggested is that women tend to cluster in lower-paying fields. The most-educated group of women, for example, gravitate toward the teaching and nursing fields. Men with similar schooling become business executives, scientists, doctors and lawyers. No matter how it is explained, there are just some factors that can not be rationalized. These are most likely the results of discrimination whether conscious or not. Women's wages have gone up by only half a penny on the dollar for the last 40 years. How long will it take to reach true equality?
No comments:
Post a Comment