For as long as remember, essentially the last few years, whenever the topic of feminism and women’s rights has come up in a conversation or debate the “Wage Gap” has not been far behind it. Recently the issue of the “Wage Gap” has become absolutely central to the idea and motivations of the neo-feminist movement.
What must be made categorically clear is that if we are talking on a global scale, where in many countries women are not even allowed to leave the house, unless supervised by a male relative, then there is a undeniable and unfair gap between the pay of men and women in all ares of work and employment. But when someone does bring up the “Wage Gap” they are usually addressing the supposed gap between the pay of men and women in the more Westernized and modern world, in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
I have been pondering the issue of the pay gap for a while now and have yet to come to a conclusive decision on whether or not there is a clear gap in the pay of men and women, the existence of said gap caused solely by gender bias and sexism against women and in favor of men. I have tried countless times to find an answer, every pro is countered by a con, and every con by a pro. There are economic associations on both sides of the debate, university professors, economic researchers and countless of other professionals with more than enough qualifications to shed light on this hot topic. So far in my own personal research I have found more convincing and in depth articles and studies that show there is not a Wage Gap, and others that show that there is a Wage Gap, but the reasons on why it exists are purely socio-economic and economic. But at the same time, many renown and respected people voice their well researched opinions and findings on the topic and claim there IS in fact and sexist Wage Gap that favors men significantly over women.
Another theory to consider, is that there could be a wage gap between men and women, that favors women. Now I agree that does sound crazy, but so does a lot these days so why not. I saw a study that showed on average, young women (16-25) tend to earn more than their male counterparts. And to sort this out now, as I doubt anyone even will read this I will hold off on citations, at least until they are requested. Anyway, as the men and women begin to enter their 30’s, less women continue working and so the gap balances out, and then tips in favor of men over women. I did read a excellent article, the author of which was a transsexual man, in his late 20’s, who had been born a female. It was in his/her early 20’s that he began the long process of becoming a male. And it was after a number of years living as a male, that he realized that his life had been much easier as a female. He talked about this in a number of contexts, but the only relevant anecdote was that he recalled, as a 18 year old female, being paid more by local employers for the sole reason he was a girl. Of course this is really only one example, but everything must be considered.
This is my question to all those who believe that there is a Wage Gap between men and women, the cause of which is sexism and economic mistreatment of women. Does that factor in (take a deep breath) experience, qualifications, overtime, work hours, length of time time spent at their respective employers, maternity leave, what the job actually entails (for example 2 people with the exact same job title might do completely different types of work, entitling one to more pay in some cases), does it deal with incorrect statistics, misrepresentation of facts or data, the actual jobs men and women really do. I have yet to see an article that deals with all these variables in enough detail, and still at the end produce a viable conclusion of a sexist Wage Gap in favor of men against women, so until that happens I am on the fence, but slowly slipping towards all the people who advocate that there is no Wage Gap, rather a Wage Gap “Myth”.
The most impressive explanations I have seen, have been that once you account for all the other factors that could affect an individual’s wages, the pay disparity between men and women, all but closes up, from the claimed “77 cents to a mans dollar” to more like 98 cents for every dollar a man earns. Now this is still a problem, but of a far less magnitude then the hysteria currently buzzing in the media. Furthermore, in many professions women far out earn men, such as modelling and pornography, but you rarely see the morally righteous “feminists” advocating for equal pay for male porn stars, so by what right do they claim “they strive for equal rights for women and men” I have seen no evidence that feminists truly fight for a equal rights and treatment of men, but I can produce plenty of evidence that it does exist.
This is my first post, I hope no one is offended by what I have written, I just though I would vent what is on my mind, if anyone has any information, data, links to articles or the names of any good books or published articles that tackles this controversial issue, please feel free to message them to me or bring them to my attention some how.
The Young Activist 