Eliminating the Gender Wage Gap
The gender wage gap is often a concept that only people who are affected by it will understand. After many years of dealing with the gender wage gap, women have finally started to speak out about how important this issue really is. In 2014, it was discovered that full time working women were paid only 79% of what men with the same occupation and experience were paid. This may not seem like a big deal, but why should a woman with the same skills, who is working just as hard as a man in the same occupation be paid 21% less? The gender wage gap is proof that people are paid based on gender rather than the quality of one's work.
Elizabeth Owens posted an article on the American Association of University Women (AAUW) website about Maxine Lampe’s struggle to receive fair pay as a public school worker. Maxine Lampe began her career as a teacher in the 1970s while her husband was still in graduate school. Since she was bringing in income for the two of them, she tried a negotiate a higher salary with the school administration. They refused to pay her what a man would be payed if he was head of the household because her husband was in graduate school, and they claimed that meant she was not head of the household. Lampe put up with this issue for as long as she could, but when she went into public school administration and tried to discuss her salary, they told her she does not need to be payed as much because her husband is a professor. Maxine believed that she should be payed a fair amount regardless of how much her husband makes. Now, Maxine Lampe is president of AAUW of Iowa and she has helped with a study that showed the wage gap between men and women technology employees at area education agencies. The study began to be more popular, so more people began to realize the pay differences between men and women. Overall, Maxine, along with many other women have been treated unfairly in business places and thanks to the help of people like Maxine Lampe, this problem is beginning to be addressed and solved.
The Financial Women's Association (FWA) is a national organization that helps businesswomen to achieve success and leadership in the financial community. Thier goal is to speak for women of finance in all industries by advancing thought leadership, recognizing women’s achievement, and shedding light on their contributions to their companies, professions, and communities. Although the FWA is a national organization, they are mainly based in New York. This organization started in 1965 when eight women gathered together to discuss their business experiences. They now have over 800 members and still continue to grow. The FWA offers three different memberships based on experience with business and/or education. A full membership is for business professionals with four years of experience or two years of experience and a graduate degree. An associate membership is for somebody who lives and works 100 miles away from New York City and/or somebody with at least one year of business experience. The last membership offer is for a student membership for full time undergraduates, college graduates, and graduate students. Members are able to join committees and donate to the organization.The FWA offers mentoring and scholarships that have helped over 5,000 students and young professionals. The FWA’s mission is : “To Accelerate the Leadership and Success of Women across the financial community in all industries, by advancing careers, fostering alliances and preparing the current and next generation of professionals.”
With the help of many people and organizations speaking out about the gender wage gap, some companies are beginning to recognize this issue and pay women and men equally. However, the gender wage gap is still very real, and the ultimate goal is to eliminate it completely. By working together and spreading the importance of this issue, we can make sure men and women get the equality they deserve.
Works Cited
“Financial Women's Association." Financial Women's Association. N.p., n.d. Web.
2 Mar. 2016. <http://fwa.org/>.
Hill, Catherine. "The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap." AAUW. N.p., n.d.
Web. 2 Mar. 2016. <http://www.aauw.org/research/
the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/>.
Owens, Elizabeth. "Denied Fair Pay, She Became an Advocate." AAUW Empowering Women
Since 1881 Denied Fair Pay She Became an Advocate Comments. AAUW, 08 Apr.
2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.