Open post to peer reviewers

The fight for women’s rights has been an ongoing struggle for centuries and will continue to proceed for many more years. There has been a deficiency in gender equality in many areas big or small. Recently, an especially prevalent issue has been the gender pay gap.  The gender pay gap the average difference between men and women in the work place.  The average woman only earns 79% of what the average man’s yearly salary. Women in the work force have made tremendous strides over the past century; however, there are still significant differences between the payment of men and women in the work force. It’s clear that women’s rights have notably increased since the early mid 1900’s and even in recent years, but the gender pay gap continues to be a considerable form of discrimination towards working women. Gender should not be a contributing factor into a person’s salary. If a woman is producing work that is equivalent to a man under the same employer, the gender of the employee should not lessen that woman’s payment.    

            Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women still face discrimination in the work force. The gender pay gap is 21% (Catherine Hill, 2016). This means that the average female makes 79% of what the average male makes. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was passed. This legislation essentially states that employers cannot pay employees doing the same job different wages based on their sex.  Some argue that this gap is a consequence of men taking on harder, higher paying jobs. Will Infantine, a New Hampshire state representative, spoke out and claimed, “Men by and large make more because of some of the things they do. Their jobs are, by and large, more riskier. They don't mind working nights and weekends. They don't mind working overtime, or outdoors in the elements ... Men are more motivated by money than women are” ((GSP Video) NH State Rep Says Women Earn Less Because Lack Men's Motivation, Drive, 2014).  Even if this statement where true, the gender pay gap is predominately based on women and men doing the exact same jobs.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded that women make as much as men in only three categories (Covert, 2014). The gender pay gap is not a result of women being lazier than men.  It is a product of discrimination in the workplace.

If profit is the deciding factor for salary, then women that produce more revenue should be paid more than their male counterparts. Infantine claims men are paid more because they produce more profit than women because they work longer shifts and in turn produce more profit. This is a valid point, but this is not practiced when women produce more profit than men. A recent issue in the news has been the Women’s USA soccer team fighting to earn equal salary as the men’s USA soccer team earns.  Five players of the US women’s national team filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Chappell, 2016).  The USA women’s soccer team has had more success in the past couple years than the men. They bring in almost double the revenue that the men’s soccer team brings in yet the pay gap is $2 million between the teams (Block, 2016). Winning the world cup and bringing in the most viewers of an American soccer game, the women’s team has proven that they should be paid equally, if not more than the men’s team.  The fact that the equity of their payments is even a question proves that there continues to be a gender discrimination in regards to salary.  Not only has the women’s team out profited the men’s they have also shown there a higher demand for women’s soccer players.

An important concept in the American market is supply and demand. The more a job is demanded the more a person will get paid.  The past women’s World Cup game was the most viewed soccer game in history (Block, 2016).  The US women’s soccer team is more heavily demanded than the men’s team. When I was a senior in high school, two of my guy friends were talking about how it was absurd that a woman tennis player gets paid as much as a male tennis player.  Their reasoning was that men player longer matches and work harder; therefore, their salary should be higher.  This reasoning disregards the fact that in 2013 and 2014 the women’s US open final had more viewers and produced more revenue than the men’s US open final match (Close, 2016).  My friend’s believed that because male tennis players run more during a match and apparently work harder than the women’s tennis players.  Even if the statement that male tennis players work harder than female were true, my friends lacked an understanding of the demand of popular women’s sports like tennis.  Players like Serena and Venus Williams are very popular athletes.  These are arguably the most well-known tennis players.  Women’s sports like tennis and soccer both are in high demand and create a lot of revenue.  In turn, the salaries for each should reflect this demand as it does for men’s sports.

  This shouldn’t be a solely women’s issue. Unequal pay affects the entire family income.  A lower salary affects the total family income, limits their lifetime earnings, and reduces retirement saving and benefits ("AAUW Issues: Gender Pay Gap", 2015).  This is not something men should ignore.  Entire families are affected by the gender pay gap.  Men should not overlook this form of discrimination because it does not directly affect them.  There are wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters that are denied opportunities because of their lower income. Today, women account for 47% of the workforce (United States Department of Labor, 2010).  If almost half of the workforce is making less money, this affects the entire economy.  Women won’t spend as much if their salaries are lower and this will affect the circulation of money in the market.  The gender pay gap shouldn’t not be viewed as a women’s issue rather a societal issue.

Because I am a woman, my salary should not diminish.  Gender should not determine a person’s salary.  The gender pay gap is not a problem that will be eradicated quickly and by one piece of legislation.  It has to be an effort of society working together to end discrimination.  One of the central principles American’s pride is the chance for equal opportunity.  Denying women equal pay for equal work contradicts this principle.  Women have made milestones in the fight for their rights. Continuing to fight discrimination in all areas small or large is pivotal.