Women's Wages

Time Magazine had an article in April 2007 on women’s wages in comparison to men’s. The author, Julie Rawe discusses that even right out of college, women are already making 80% of what men make. This statistic only gets worse, decreasing to 69% after 10 years on the job. Time says “even in traditionally male-dominated fields, in which women are theoretically sought after for diversity’s sake, women still earn less than men.” It’s a good article, exposing discrepancies in gender biased wages. However, Rawe ends blaming the difference on women, claiming that “women expect less and negotiate less pay…then men do.” Even in the beginning of the article, Time states “female students tend to major in fields associated with lower earnings, such as education and health profession, which accounts for part of the wage gap.”

I work for a non-profit that raises awareness and funds for orphanages and medical clinics helping poverty stricken Africans with HIV/AIDS. When looking at gender in our small office; the president, vice president, director of development, events coordinator and projects consultant all identify themselves as women. Even the accountant, a men dominated job, is a woman. The only position held by a male identifies himself as a ‘gay man,’ with a more ‘feminine nature.’ One of the two receptionists identifies himself in the same way, a gay man; while the other receptionist, along with every intern, considers themselves a woman. As a non-profit, the company struggles with money so salaries are not what they should be for the amount of effort is put into the program. One could argue that is to be expected when working for a non-profit. Buy why is it that the employees all identify themselves more with the ‘feminine’ gender? Women are dominant in this field and are paid less, reinforcing Julie Rawe’s comment. Why is she correct in saying women expect less?

Women should not expect less for their work; however gender roles have become so imbedded into our society it’s hard to think twice to wonder if it’s correct. Oyeronke Oyewumi in her paper “De-Confounding Gender” tackles the notion that “gender is implicated in a cognitive schema, therefore it is a way of thinking (1052).” The notions behind gender, and more specifically in the work force, are socially constructed. When someone makes a claim that ‘women expect less in salary,’ they are saying that women are supposed to expect less based on their gender. That statement has much power in stating stereotypes, false ones, about the submissive role of a woman in the job market. Also by saying that women ‘tend’ to go for more humanitarian, less pay jobs is also another powerful statement; that women should apply for those jobs because for the simple fact that they are women. Did Rawe stop to think why women ‘tend’ and ‘expect’ these things? It is because from the beginning women are taught, along with the rest of society, to assume it is what women do.

Statistics are spewed that women are treated different in about one year after college. However, they do not stop to think that women are treated different at birth by placing the pink bow on their head.