When I was 8 years old, I sat in the back of our family car, bobbing to the lyrics of Madonna’s “Material Girl.” I asked to play it on repeat over and over again, attempting to learn the words.
I still love the song. It’s catchy and it’s fun. But, it’s also pretty sexist and pretty relevant to today’s culture. The average 8-year-old girl, however, doesn’t understand all that. All I knew was I loved Madonna and I loved my collection of pink, glittery princess dresses. So, obviously, I too was a material girl.
Hailey Stewart | Argonaut
It’s hard not to sing along: “The boy with the cold, hard cash is always Mister Right.” And it’s even more difficult to get the song out of your head.
Maybe that is why my father stopped playing the tune. Maybe it’s because he was worried I would actually want to become Madonna.
On that too long of a road trip, after listening to the same CD ten times over, my dad finally turned around and said, “You don’t want to be a material girl, you want to be Hailey.” He meant I should aim to be the boss, the CEO, the president — not someone who relies on the male population to provide the “cold, hard cash.”
Instead of being a material girl, why not be a material woman? Why not be a material woman that is empowered and paid like a man?
I’d like to say it is easy. We could just flip the lyrics and say the “The woman with the cold, hard cash is always Miss Right.” But, that’s not the case.
What my father said stuck with me all these years. But, it can be difficult to think of yourself as a material girl with power when the numbers don’t exactly add up.
If there is one number that pops out most when discussing the gender wage gap, it’s the strong 80 percent. Women, on average, tend to make just 80 percent of their male counterparts.
At a time when women are having a moment, taking center stage, standing at the forefront of social conversation and shedding light on controversial topics, it is important to remember all the conversations taking place.
It is rare to go a day without seeing a post, article or column on the #METOO Movement or the Time’s Up campaign. And, it can become even more confusing when these movements mean so many different things to so many different people.
Even with all the conversations taking place that largely surround sexual harassment in the workplace, the conversation surrounding empowering women should begin with pay.
The Atlantic reports having higher numbers of women in higher-paid positions or leadership roles in an office is shown to reduce incidents of harassment. A recent New York Times article showed how some startups are diversifying or getting out of the business world entirely. With more diversity on its side, a company can grow — women play a large role in that growth.
There are so many reasons a pay gap can exist, and they exist in nearly every single country. Some social scientists believe the pay gap exists because of educational disparities, childbirth and pure gender discrimination, the list goes on.
According to Women in the Workplace, nearly 50 percent of males believe women are well-represented in leadership roles in companies. However, only one in 10 senior leader members of companies are female.
It can become complicated. There are many reasons for the pay gap. There are many reasons we are having certain conversations as a society. There are many reasons to empower women as a response to every single one of those conversations.
One of the best ways to invest in women is to literally invest in them from the ground up, and that begins with equal pay. Money may not mean everything, but it does reflect a certain level of respect and a certain feeling of accomplishment.
Whenever “Material Girl” pops up on my playlist, I remind myself it’s OK to be that kind of woman, but it’s even more rewarding to be the kind who provides for herself — the kind that wants to be the CEO, the president or the boss. It might take a while, but it’s the best place to start.
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at Hailey_ann97