A Look Back at where Pay Equity Has Been and where It’s Going. Loading...
When it comes to reaching pay equity, the pace of change is glacial. Just how long will it take until we see equal pay? At this rate, it could be more than 100 years. Equal pay for women in the United States is a relatively new concept. It was not that long ago that women were routinely paid less than men in the same jobs were paid. In the 1950s, congressional representatives began to introduce bills for equal pay for women, but passage of such legislation would wait until 1963, when President John F. Legislation set the stage, but it would be another two decades before wages began to move toward actual pay equity.
As shown in the graph, if we analyze the change in the pay gap from the 1960s to now, we could extrapolate and expect to see pay equity in 2058. While I would like believe that the more optimistic model, I am going to go with the recent decade. Luckily, there is a lot that we can do to speed along the process. Women’s Economic Concerns Take Center Stage in State of the Union. Loading...
President Barack Obama delivers the 2015 State of the Union address. Image via Twitter The annual State of the Union address creates Super-Bowl-like buzz and Vegas-worthy forecasting in our nation’s capital. This year’s speech was no different when it came to anticipation and prognostications, but it also featured one added spice: It was President Barack Obama’s first speech before the newly minted, Republican-controlled Congress. The annual address provides every president with a chance to boast about progress made and goals met, as well as to highlight next steps and advocate for upcoming budget proposals.
America, for all that we’ve endured, for all the grit and hard work required to come back, for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this: The shadow of crisis has passed, and the state of the Union is strong. The White House not only went big, but it also approached the whole speech and the SOTU frenzy quite differently. So the verdict is clear. Exploring the Gender Gap in Business. Loading...
“You said in an interview not long ago that your kids said they’re going to hold you accountable for one job, and that is being a mom. Given the pressure at General Motors, can you do both well?” That’s the question Today Show host Matt Lauer asked then-new General Motors CEO Mary Barra in June 2014. Put simply, his question was whether or not she would be able to balance being a mother while being a quality CEO. His implication is that there is a tradeoff — a woman can either be a good mother or a good CEO. The stereotyping and unfair assumptions about a woman’s capability to have a work-life balance are a symptom of the gender gap in business. Statistics such as these are likely discouraging for young women pursuing careers in business fields. How can we expect girls to desire jobs in business if the odds are stacked against them? Tying business into public education, especially math classes, can help girls develop an interest and pursue future jobs in areas such as finance.
The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (2014) You’ve probably heard that men are paid more than women are paid over their lifetimes.
But what does that mean? Are women paid less because they choose lower-paying jobs? Is it because more women work part time than men do? Or is it because women have more caregiving responsibilities? And what, exactly, does gender bias have to do with paychecks? AAUW’s The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap succinctly addresses these issues by going beyond the widely reported 80 percent statistic. Quick Facts According to AAUW, the pay gap won’t close until 2152. Think 80 cents is bad? The gender pay gap is worse for mothers, and it only grows with age. Thanks to the pay gap, women of color especially struggle to pay off student debt.