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Clare Abboud

Mrs. Palcko

English 112

10 May 2017

The Fight for Equality

A flimsy, green tinted, seemingly worthless piece of paper, of which, every human being

has the desire to possess a superfluous amount of. The very paper that has fueled a worldwide

demand like none other in history. A nugatory piece of paper that our world, both, relies on to

function and revolves around, that is, money. This particular chase for desire, however, is

incomparable to any other monetary demand in history. This new journey, of which millions of

women across the country have embarked upon, is the trek toward parity regarding the gender

wage gap. Being a remarkably widespread issue, the gender pay gaps realm of impact ranges to

several diverse races, and the corresponding causes of the inferior treatment could potentially

escalate to even more serious issues arousing regarding gender inequality.

As shocking as it may sound, a woman's genetic composition that labels them a female in

gender, puts her at an unequal disadvantage in society. Women have consistently and empirically

been proven to be paid an hourly wage of twenty-one cents less than men. The astounding

diversity of the gender wage gap has lasting effects on all women, and an even greater impact on

those of color. By surpassing the more commonly reported seventy-nine percent statistic, which

explains a females pay for every dollar earned by their male counterpart, the American

Association of University Women researches beyond this widely known fact, and explores the

diversity amongst women of different races. Their results compare ethnic women's hourly wage

to both, their male counterparts, and Caucasian males, being the largest demographic represented
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in the workforce. Although it may seem as though, on average, Caucasian women and men tend

to earn higher wages in comparison to others of different races, this is seemingly false. Asian

women earn, approximately, one dollar more compared to their female Caucasian counterpart,

and Asian men make three dollars more than a Caucasian male. However, Asian women are still

affected by the wage gap, accounting for a six dollar pay difference (Miller). Moreover, The Pew

Research Center also conducted multiple studies to examine racial discrimination within an

already gender discriminatory topic. Their studies go further to say, In 2015, average hourly

wages for African-American and Hispanic men were fifteen dollars and fourteen dollars,

respectively, compared with twenty-one dollars for Caucasian men (Patten). Not only is there

racial discrimination present, but furthermore, African-American and Hispanic women earn, on

average, thirteen dollars and twelve dollars per hour. This calculates to, on average, an eight

dollar pay gap between ethnic females and Caucasian males. Evidently, the pay gap has

widespread effects on all women across the globe, revealing, both, gender discrimination and

racial prejudice.

Despite the inconsistency to determine the exact pay ratio between men and women,

there is one thing that is absolutely fact, that is, the pay gap does indeed exist. Although some

may argue the pay gap is, at best, an illusory myth created in the minds of the most radical of

feminists, these arguments, in reality, have no logical or empirical backing. Many wonder what

the cause of this prejudice is. However, the roots of this issue are far too complex to pinpoint one

specific cause. Rather, the existence of this gender based discrimination is the result of many

integral factors. A common argument that many attempt to justify the gap with, insists that men

are simply more educated than women. However, according to a study conducted by The

Washington Post, in 2015, the college enrollment rate in high school graduates was,
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approximately, seven percent greater in females, opposed to males. Women are not intellectually

inferior, rather, they are equally, if not, more qualified than men in academic standards, and yet

they are still being underpaid. Furthermore, the Center for American Progress explains that much

of the pay gap is attributed to the statement that women are more likely to gravitate toward

lower-paying occupations and industries (Farrell). However, this explanation only accounts for

forty-nine percent of the wage gap, and the remaining forty-one percent still goes unexplained.

There still is a large populace of women occupying male dominated jobs, and it is vital to not

neglect this elite sector of the workforce. Moreover, a frequent, and perhaps, the most

attributable reason for the existence of the pay gap is motherhood. According to The European

Commission of Justice, Family care and domestic responsibilities are still not equally shared.

The task of looking after dependent family members is largely borne by women. Far more

women than men choose to take parental leave, causing them to exit the labor market. The

report goes on to say that only sixty-six percent of women with young children are working,

compared to eighty-nine percent of men. Thus, gender roles, along with many other potential

causes regarding academic capabilities, play a significant factor in the gender pay gap.

Common analyses of the pay differences between sexes are more often than not from a

negative viewpoint, pointing out the deficiencies of the issue. However, it is essential to examine

the optimistic outlook the future has to hold for what, currently seems to be, a hopeless issue.

Contrary to the popular belief, there is still hope for the female workforce to receive parity.

However, this instance of hope will come with a significant consequence known as, the

parenthood penalty (Budig). Simply put, female workers would abstain from having children

because they are fully aware of the financial toll it could burden. Although the future of this

issue, from a glance, seems promising, it could potentially bear adverse consequences. Thus,
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with all facets of information in mind, the gender wage gap is a very serious topic that affects

women of all races, and with women all over the world acting on the issue, it is likely that

women in the future generations will receive parity.

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Works Cited

Patten, Eileen. Racial, Gender Wage Gaps Persist in U.S. despite Some Progress. Pew

Research Center, 1 July 2016, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/01/racial-gender-

wage-gaps-persist-in-u-s-despite-some-progress/. Accessed 12 May 2017

Miller, Kevin. The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap. AAUW: Empowering Women

Since

1881, Mar. 2017, www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/.

Accessed 16 May 2017.

Budig, Dr. Michelle. Parenthood Exacerbates the Gender Pay Gap. TheHill, 3 Feb. 2016,

thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/121869-parenthood-exacerbates-the-

gender-pay-gap. Accessed 16 May 2017.

What are the causes? What are the causes? - European Commission,

ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/gender-pay-gap/causes/index_en.htm.

Accessed 16 May 2017.

Farrell, Jane. What Causes the Gender Wage Gap? Center for American Progress, 8 July 2014,

www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/news/2013/04/09/59658/what-causes-the-

gender-wage-gap/. Accessed 16 May 2017.