wage gap discusson

I attended the discussion about the wage gap. I was so surprised to hear of all of the facts that these women had to offer. One of the women raised some really great points that offering less money to women, in essence, meant they were worth more. I had never considered the wage gap in this way, yet it made so much sense to me. Why would the sex of a worker mean they should be paid more, and how can you separate that fact from the partiarcal society in which we live and work in.  I have little knowledge of the wage gap and was so surprised to hear of the facts.

Firstly, I could not believe that the unfairness of the situation was so rampant. So many people in the class along with on the board had personal stories of unfairness. For example, the instructor said she had dealt with the wage gap her entire life. Even though she was well educated she had to fight for her rights. I had also never considered that the color of a persons skin would effect the wage gap so much. Women of color should definitely be educated on this issue considering they are the most affected. They are paid even less then white women, who are only paid 77 cents to the dollar for doing the same work as a white man. This was so shocking to me.

We also discussed the wheel that shows different aspects that one can be treated unfairly for. So many of the aspects affect women more then men. For example a women who wants to be a mother will be more affected in the work place then a man. The "mommy track" phenomena has greatly set back women in the work force. They should not be forced into certain jobs because they want to create a family. Men may not be able to give birth, but they should be just as concerned with the raising of their children as the mother would be.

The most important think I learned was the importance of negotiation. Most men will negotiate a better salary and women will not. This is an awful truth of how society makes women feel about themselves. As if women do not see enough self worth in fighting for themselves. It is a very important lesson for this time in my life, considering I plan on entering the work force in a few short months. Its important that I continue to stay up to date with the issues facing the wage gap, and that I learn the proper ways to make as much as I am worth for the work I choose to do.