In the uphill battle for equal pay, women face a challenge that is quieter and less talked about because it is harder to prove- the "Motherhood Penalty" This penalty basically implies that the mere possibility of a woman in the workforce having a baby is enough to set her back in today's already pressing wage gap. As if the inequality in the workplace wasn't enough already, with women making $.71-.79 for every dollar a man makes, the "baby discrimination" makes women want to keep their pregnancy under wraps, if even get pregnant at all. The outcomes of a study on women in academia do not help the case either: women graduate students who are pregnant or have young children are 132 times more likely to wind up in a contingent position, whereas men with young children are 36 times LESS likely to end up in a contingent position. One study conducted by a sociologist at University of Massachusetts concluded that for every child a working woman has, approximately 4% of her life earnings is lost. Mothers are also held to a higher standard than others in their office, and often times they can't meet those standards. She also stated that some of the stereotypes related to baby discrimination is the notion that once the woman has the baby, she would opt to work fewer hours or choose more "family friendly" jobs. The issue with the motherhood penalty is not only that it affects mothers, but it affects women who are not mothers and may or may not be planning to be. The mere prospect of a woman getting pregnant is enough for companies to set her back further than she should be.
The struggle for equal pay has been an issue since the beginnings of women in the workforce, especially after WWII when more women were joining manufacturing companies because the men were out fighting. Even though it has been proven that women can be just as effective and efficient as men, it seems our country simply cannot get a handle on that reality.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/careers/motherhood-penalty-can-affect-women-who-never-even-have-child-n548511
Yeah I think these studies still show that many people still have stereotyped views about women especially women with children. This idea that they are tied to carrying for there children and have no time to be effective in their work. The idea though that a man with a child can handle it. So there's a basic disconnect there something that needs to be combatted.
ReplyDeleteYeah I think these studies still show that many people still have stereotyped views about women especially women with children. This idea that they are tied to carrying for there children and have no time to be effective in their work. The idea though that a man with a child can handle it. So there's a basic disconnect there something that needs to be combatted.
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