March is Women”s History Month, and the University of Idaho offers several opportunities for people to learn more about women”s issues, such as Lunafest, a female film festival.
It seems as though a lot of progress has been made in the last century to further women”s rights and end sexism. However, even in 2016 there are still things that need to be fixed.
The U.S. Census Bureau states that the average woman makes 78 cents for every dollar that a man makes. This excludes salaried workers as well as part-time employees.
Many suggest that the reason women are paid less is because they work less than men, so they have less work experience. People also argue that women often leave the workforce to raise their children and afterward look for jobs with more flexible hours.
While the statistic from the U.S. Census Bureau is a little misleading because it doesn”t take into account that women tend to leave the workforce and raise families, the alternative statistic is just as bad.
The U.S. Labor Department”s Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that women who do not get married have virtually no wage gap. They earn 95 cents for every dollar a man makes. Women who are members of unions make almost 91 cents compared to their male counterparts.
These statistics infer that if women want to be closer to pay equity, they shouldn”t get married or start a family. In turn, that spreads discrimination and pay inequity and reinforces the gender stereotype that women are the only ones who can sacrifice a career for a family.
This is a struggle ambitious women across the country have to deal with. They walk fine lines between femininity and power, yet never seem to have both.
One piece of information that is key to understanding pay inequity and the discrimination against women in our society is the types of jobs women often take. Men tend to be paid more because more of them are in science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields (STEM), and not in a professorial or academic aspect.
In recent years, there have been movements and projects that are aimed at encouraging women to enter STEM fields. Professors at UI participate in programs that aim to help middle-school-aged girls learn coding and computer science and many sociologists are also researching how different learning environments impact different genders.
Women in the STEM fields often aren”t treated the way they should be in male-dominated fields. Sometimes they even feel the need to change how they act to fit into a more masculine environment. Young women studying at UI shouldn”t have to feel like they need to change their outfits because they are “too cute” or “too girly.” Women should never have to feel as though they are being ridiculed because of their femininity, no matter what job they are in.
Women shouldn”t have to give up their families or their femininity in order to be taken seriously, and society shouldn”t continue to perpetuate the idea that women are homemakers.
Promoting gender equality doesn”t just benefit women. It benefits people of all gender identities. Societal expectations placed upon women can have a negative impact upon men, too. For example, men who enter into career fields that are characterized as feminine are often seen as outcasts. Men who choose to stay home and raise their children while their partners pursue a career are also looked down upon.
Breaking down gender stereotypes and working toward gender equality will help people of all gender identities and create a world in which a young girl with aspirations to be a neuroscientist or a game designer will be encouraged to accomplish her dreams.
– CW