Equal Pay For Equal Work: Gender Wage Gap

Did you know women and men still to this day get paid differently? Every dollar a man makes a woman only makes roughly around 78-81 cents. The gender wage gap is a real issue that still exists in America, even though there are protections against this like the Equal Pay Act and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It says pay should be equal despite discramatory differences yet, this issue still seems to exist. The gender wage gap is a difference in pay and salary based on your gender, however other factors can contribute to the wage gap like skin color , motherhood, and sexual orientation. Laws should be in place to protect women from this discrimination

Women all over the world are impacted by the wage gap. The gap has always been a conflict since women started being in the workforce, but men have benefited from the gap because they earn more money. The difference in pay fluctuates as per area, race, and age the nation over. For example, the 2010 U.S. Statistics indicated that the smallest gap was in the District of Columbia, where females earned by and large 90 percent of what their male partners earned, while the largest gap was in Wyoming, where female specialists' normal income were just 64 percent of male specialist profit. For women of color , the wage gap is even larger.: as stated by the 2012 measurements about weekly after profits released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics says, “white ladies earned 82 percent of what non-Hispanic white men earned; African American ladies, 70 percent; and Hispanic or Latina ladies, 61 percent.” ('Gender Wage Gap'). It will take 40 years for women to reach pay equality, which 2059. However women of color will have to wait longer. Hispanic women will have to wait till 2224 and black women will have to wait till 2130 to reach equality in pay.

The gender wage gap also develops with a female workers age. In 2012 young women (under age 35) were paid around 90 percent of what men earned, while ladies ages 35 to 64 earned just 75 to 80 percent. Women with kids will only earn around 54 to 65 cents compared to a white man's dollar. The gender wage gap also applies to ladies without kids. In 2013 by the American Association of University Women had said that, “one year after school graduation, full-time female laborers (practically every one of who does not have kids) earned just 82 percent of what their male partners earned.” ('Gender Wage Gap'). Either way women with and without kids will still receive less than male co workers

Generally on average women will make less in any occupation especially in male dominated occupations . According to the Institute for women's policy research statistics show “The occupation with the largest gender wage gap is ‘securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents’ in 2018; women’s median weekly earnings for full-time work in this occupation were just 63.9 percent of those of men’s, corresponding to a gender wage gap of 36.1 percent.” Women Stem occupations will receive significantly less because its male dominated. For an example female physicians and surgeons are paid up to 19 billion less yearly than male physicians and surgeons. The wage gap also occurs in female dominated professions.An example is the difference in pay with male and female nurses. Female nurses will earn an average of $73,090 and male nurses will an average of $79,688. That is an 8% pay difference even though nursing is a female dominated profession. Elementary and middle school teachers that are women will only make $982 per week, in comparison with $1,148 for men, which is a 14.42% pay difference.

In 1963 the Equal Pay Act was passed as an amendment. It necessitates that people be given equivalent compensation for equivalent work in a similar foundation. The jobs don't have to be exactly the same,but job content should be equal. Factors that are taken into consideration are skill,effort,responsibility,working conditions, and establishment. Skill is defined by the experience, capacity, instruction, and preparation required. Effort is the measure of physical or mental effort expected to perform the job. Responsibility is the duty and obligations. Working conditions are the physical surroundings of the environment around you. Establishment is the restriction against money earned discrimination under the EPA applies just to occupations .

Another example of equality protection is in The Declaration of Human Rights.In Article 23 it states, ¨Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.¨ (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). In Article 7 of the Human Decleration of Human Rights states, ¨All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). These are articles to state how everyone is equally protected and should recieve equal compensation for equal work, however that is not the case.

Although there are these regulations in the equal pay act and The Declaration of Human rights to prevent discrimnation against women and people of color it still happens. In my opinion a way to solve this issue is for compensation to be merit based. Men and women who have the same qualifications and experience should be receiving the same amount of men ( regardless of gender,race,ethnicity, parenthood,sexual orientation etc.).To make sure this is enforced men and women will report their earnings. If there are cases that show discrimination and violation because of gender and discriminatory factors then it shall change or there will be a penalty.