How Does Gender Pay Gap Affect Women
The gender pay gap persists even though civil rights laws prohibit discrimination. It is estimated that a woman that works full time will earn about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. Over the working lifespan, this earnings difference is $700,000 for a high school graduate, and up to $2 million for a professional school graduate . As such, it is important to understand the real effects that the gender pay gap has on society. The limitations of this type of system do not only affect women, but also the economy as a whole. It also has a significant impact on the family unit. The focus of this single issues paper is on how the gender pay gap negatively affects women, and how this feeds back into overall economic losses for the country. In the United States, 42% of mothers who have children still living at home are the main (or only) breadwinner for their family . This means that these children are more likely to grow up under the poverty line. The pay gap becomes an issue not only of equal pay for equal work, but something that negatively affects generations. It may prevent certain families from making ends meet, which in turn impacts the children both now and later in life. They may not have access to pay for a college education, which will then further
…show more content…
negatively affect the economy . Children that grow up under the poverty line are also more likely to have health problems, both psychological and physical. Again, this has a negative impact on the economy: these children may grow up not being able to afford healthcare or participate in the job market in the same way that their peers can. It is important to look into the real, long-term effects of the gender gap for this reason. Part of the reason for the gender wage gap comes back to families, too.
This has been called the “mommy tax” – working women with children often have less access to raises because there is an unconscious bias against them . The myth persists that women with children are all much less committed to their careers than men with children. In contrast, men with children are often seen as being more responsible and have a tendency to receive higher pay and more promotions after having children . In essence, the association between families and the gender pay gap is a vicious circle. There is also evidence that male children also get paid a higher allowance than girls for the same chores, again compounding the
problem. This has real effects that we need to consider. The first is that, working mothers are less able to contribute to the economy because they have a lower income. This negatively impacts businesses that offer products for children and mothers particularly, but also has an overall negative effect. The gender wage gap is also likely to persist through generations if we do not do something about it. This is not only an economic problem, but a social one. In conclusion, the gender wage gap effects family units as well as women. This means that the negative effects of the gender pay gap have a negative effect in the long-term. There are also unconscious biases against working mothers and against female children, which means that we need to consciously attack this issue. If we focus on families and how to improve opportunities for working mothers, then the gender pay gap and the economy will both improve.
negatively affect the economy . Children that grow up under the poverty line are also more likely to have health problems, both psychological and physical. Again, this has a negative impact on the economy: these children may grow up not being able to afford healthcare or participate in the job market in the same way that their peers can. It is important to look into the real, long-term effects of the gender gap for this reason. Part of the reason for the gender wage gap comes back to families, too.
This has been called the “mommy tax” – working women with children often have less access to raises because there is an unconscious bias against them . The myth persists that women with children are all much less committed to their careers than men with children. In contrast, men with children are often seen as being more responsible and have a tendency to receive higher pay and more promotions after having children . In essence, the association between families and the gender pay gap is a vicious circle. There is also evidence that male children also get paid a higher allowance than girls for the same chores, again compounding the
problem. This has real effects that we need to consider. The first is that, working mothers are less able to contribute to the economy because they have a lower income. This negatively impacts businesses that offer products for children and mothers particularly, but also has an overall negative effect. The gender wage gap is also likely to persist through generations if we do not do something about it. This is not only an economic problem, but a social one. In conclusion, the gender wage gap effects family units as well as women. This means that the negative effects of the gender pay gap have a negative effect in the long-term. There are also unconscious biases against working mothers and against female children, which means that we need to consciously attack this issue. If we focus on families and how to improve opportunities for working mothers, then the gender pay gap and the economy will both improve.