Earnings Differences between Men and Women

Earnings Differences between Men and Women

Abstract
The characteristics of the biases include not receiving equal remunerations for the same job, or sometimes determining promotion on the gender-biased point of view. Despite the effort placed by various institutions and individuals, the problem still, exists even in developed countries. The salary of a woman does not reflect on the pay rates that are stipulated by labor laws in various countries including first world countries. Different employers and organizations explain some reasons leading to wage disparities. Among the reasons provided for lower pay and promotion, biases are education, compulsory leaves, industrial traditions and many others. The increasing number women in the industries are encouraging. However, there are still gaps in bridging income disparity and job promotion within the same firms. This study would review the scenarios that reveal that women are underpaid in their jobs when compared to men. The study will also evaluate the causes and the sources of the discriminations.

Gender inequality relates to the difference that exists among different people because of gender rather than an objective difference. The characteristics of the biases include not receiving equal remunerations for the same job, or sometimes determining promotion on the gender-biased point of view. Despite the effort placed by various institutions and individuals, the problem still, exists even in developed countries. Various feminist groups have worked hard to fight the issue of gender biases based on salary rates.

Do date the efforts to combat the problem has not materialized. This study would review the scenarios that reveal that women are underpaid in their jobs when compared to men. The study will also evaluate the causes and the sources of the discriminations.
In this century, it is sometimes unimaginable to view women as oppressed minority groups especially in the first world countries (Wienclaw, 2015). The idea is further confusing because people can see women in virtually every job opportunity including those that were assumed masculine careers like engineering and constructions. Women are represented in all the economic activities to the possible level of satisfaction including the top positions in politics. According to Wienclaw (2015), women rose past the post of homemakers and secretaries. Furthermore, Wienclaw (2015) suggest that the society may not understand the quest for gender equality at work place because people presume that the gender gap no longer exists just because women share same job titles with men.
Wienclaw (2015) reveals that despite the gender advancement in the economic world, the society has underrepresented women in the available activities. For instance, in the 113th of the US Congress, Wienclaw (2015) reveals that only 98 women were the member of Congress that had a population of 535 members. According to Wienclaw, the gender inequality still exists because the ratio of men to women is still wide in all the job markets.
In the job markets, women salary is lower than the income of male co-workers for the same job in the same organization (Schnabel, 2016). Even though the pay rates have many other factors to consider, the bottom line reflects that women still earn less than men do. According to Schnabel (2016), the pay rates are not advocating for gender equality and should be corrected. The current statistics reveals that on an average white male are the top paid employees in the US (Lowen, 2016). Lai and Babcock (2012) also shows that women who have similar job titles with men, similar senior positions and with equal responsibilities still receive lesser income than the male coworker. The salary of a woman does not reflect on the pay rates that are stipulated by labor laws in various countries including first world countries. Different employers and organizations explain some reasons leading to wage disparities. However, the reasons are not sufficient to justify the salary gap between men and women.
Maternity leaves
Some theories explain that women’s salary cannot compare to people’s salary especially if the woman has to take a long leaf while expectant and a few months after delivery (Sunstein et al., 2016). People use this argument to suggest why women may take longer than men may before they are promoted to higher position. The case in this scenario suggests that there is always a gap left on the job when an employee goes on leave. Few employers also argue that people take so much time to adapt job requirements after they come from long leaves. In the period for allowing babies to mature, even though women report to work, employers suggest that most women concentration is dived between checking on the well-being of their infants and work productivity. Even though the notion is a speculation in different women, many employers avoid maternity conversations with their employees and stereotype the issue on all women. Lowen (2016), also reveals that women may conceal their pregnancy from their bosses in fear that their situation would give the employer a reason to bypass them for promotion. The explanation provided by companies could be convincing. However, the comments are not justified because they are likely to discourage motherhood. Furthermore, if all employers were to follow the argument, the proposition is likely to pull our generation backward to the point where people believed that women could only be productive as homemakers.
Educations advancement advantages
Sunstein et al., (2016) reveal that for married employees, it is easier for a man than a woman to continue with their studies. Sunstein et al. reveal that the responsibilities and expectations of women are higher at home than for men. For example for working couples, it is a woman who still takes the care of children and house chores. Besides, Sunstein et al. (2016), proceed to explain that motherhood problems are more burdensome than fatherhood problems. The problems give a man a completive advantage where an employee would be required to go for father studies to receive salary increment and job promotion. However, this temporary circumstance must not be used to generalize on all Women.
Stereotypes on diligence
It is embarrassing that even in the 21st Century, grown up men still operate under stereotypes that suggest male employees are diligent while women are fragile and lazy creatures (Sunstein et al., 2016). Despite the evolution in the industries, some employers prefer male employees to women because of the imagination that men are productive in manufacturing jobs. Some companies prefer men on sales under the presumptions that their client likes male representatives. Similarly, this argument is baseless. According to Wienclaw (2015), the bases of discrimination are mare excuses that employers and bosses use to hide the fact that they are still evolving.
Education and industrial traditions
Sunstein et al. (2016), reveal that traditionally, the society had a belief that certain jobs are male dominated. Girls were therefore discouraged from pursuing certain academic fields. The evolution of women in jobs that were traditionally male dominated began a few years ago. According to Sunstein et al. (2016), there are still gaps in some industries where male still dominate in numbers. For example, it is not long ever since ladies begun driving trucks. These conditions mean that in vehicle industries, most drivers (probably older and experienced driver) are men. In such a scenario, applying gender equality would difficult regarding promotion. It would be offensive to experience male drivers to be bypassed and promote a woman who joined later. Similarly, it would not be practical to force the gender employment ratio because ladies available for jobs requiring such experiences are still few. This explanation could be the only tolerable event in the work industry. However, since it blames the situation on the past practices, the school curriculum should be adjusted to encourage pursuing studies that were traditionally labeled male job to avert the recurrence of the event in the future.
The world is taking a positive step towards reducing gender discrimination at the workplace. The increasing number women in the industries are encouraging. However, there are still gaps in bridging income disparity and job promotion within the same firms. Further studies are still required to help employers to assert scientific methods for female remunerations.
References
Lai, L. & Babcock, L. (2012). Asian American and workplace discriminations: The interplay between sex evaluators and the perceptions of social skill. Journals of Organizational Behaviors, 34(3), 310-326.
Lowen, L. (2016). Facts Reveal Women Earn Less Than Men. About.com News & Issues. Retrieved 30 November 2016, from http://womensissues.about.com/od/GenderDiscrimination/a/Gender-Wage-Gap-Statistics-Facts-Reveal-Women-Earn-Less-Than-Men.htmSchnabel, L. (2016). The Gender Pray Gap: Wage Labor and the Religiosity of High-Earning Women and Men. Gender & Society, 30(4), 643-669.
Sunstein, C., Weisenthal, J., Cowen, T., Hunt, A., Wilkinson, F., Fox, J., & Flavelle, C. (2016). The Real Reasons Women Still Get Paid Lesser. Bloomberg View. Retrieved 30 November 2016, from https://origin-www.bloombergview.com/articles/2016-04-11/the-real-reason-women-still-get-paid-lessWienclaw, R. A. (2015). Feminist Theories of Gender Inequality. Research Starters: Sociology (Online Edition),