Last week I covered two important aspects of workplace gender inequality: underrepresented industries and gender stereotyping. Now I’m following up on that by examining our poor maternity leave policies and the wage gap.
One helpful commenter from last week said there are fewer women in some of these industries simply because they choose not to go into them.
Seriously? The term “old boys’ club” exists for a reason. Women weren’t accepted in many of these industries until very recently and are still subject to unfair scrutiny. Before they even get into these industries they are discouraged from joining because they are informed by counselors they will make less or by attitudes toward women that still exist. I know people in finance and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics who are still subject to ridiculous sexism.
So, no, the issue is not just that women choose not to go into these industries.
There’s been no federal action to ensure mothers get guaranteed paid time off without repercussion for maternity leave. According to Bloomberg, a mother’s only recourse is if her company offers maternity leave or she works in one of three states that have laws mandating it. This leaves out huge swaths of the country.
There are only two countries in the world without some type of legal, partially paid time off for women who’ve just given birth: Papua New Guinea and the United States.
Let that sink in.
There is also a huge stigma against and lack of support for paternity leave, and this is a contributing factor because it perpetuates the concept that the woman alone is responsible for care of the child. If a father can’t get time off, the mother is stuck outside the workforce and unable to continue her career progression.
Maternity policy letdowns feed into our final issue: the wage gap.
Another commenter last week immediately said the wage gap is a myth. A favorite and common defense to be sure, but one that is woefully uninformed and completely ignores the plethora of other issues surrounding this topic.
One reason women make less is because as their careers advance and they have children, they’re not guaranteed a seamless return to work. So while the entry-level pay might be the same, it starts to diverge as women get older.
In fact, as women with professional degrees age, the wage gap actually widens. The wage gap definitely exists in various forms regardless of your feelings.
The American Association of University Women said we will not reach pay equity at the current, slower rate of development until 2152.
Just because you found a video supporting your views doesn’t mean there aren’t other numerous, deep-seated issues women face every day.
People claim women working fewer hours and not choosing higher-paying degrees are the reasons for this pay gap. If you think that isn’t fed by society’s continued gender stereotyping at all ages, sexism in work and school, and nonexistent family leave, you’re fooling yourself.
The wage gap is just one manifestation of the numerous issues women face in school and the workforce today.
Time to stop moaning about whether or not the wage gap exists and start fighting for equality on all fronts.
Trolls, I await ye.
