I stumbled across an article in the Star Tribune today that summarized some of the census results having to do with me and women's equality in the workplace. According to the article, nearly as many women have advanced degrees as men, there are more women in the work force as men, and yet women are making 80.2% of what men earn. The piece highlights working mothers, by pointing out the increased needs for child-care and fixing the pay disparities.
But this is the part that makes me tilt my head in curiousity: acknowledging that women make up the majority of the work force the article still goes on to say that "as more women enter the workplace, I think they will realize the unfairness of the situation.. and demand change." Wait a minute, didn't we already establish that more women already are in the work force? How many women need to join the work force before the realization of inequality becomes a driving need for change? Apparently more than the millions who make up greater than 50% of the current work force.
I also have to wonder if the article is implying that it's women themselves who are entirely responsible for realizing and fixing the pay disparities in the work place. Not to mention the other acts of discrimination that women face because of their roles and women and mothers in our society. This makes me think of something we discussed in class today... the idea of whether change comes through changes in our roles or through the larger symbols presented in our society. This question completely applies in this case, where we see the roles have changed to the point where women are acquiring higher education and participating in the work force, yet the symbols and titles attributed to them have changed less than we could expect.
We also talked in class the other day about how women my age can make changes in working situations for women by challenging some of the standards that apply to working mothers, even though they don't apply to us - not yet. I know that I haven't spent the last three years working my butt off just as hard as my male peers to work in a situation where they will be paid that extra 20%.
Still a lot of change to be made, but in the big picture, yay for those women who are making their lives with work and family succeed. We just need to make sure the support is there to help the trend continue.
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Thinking about what you address here never fails to make me feel pissed. It's so wrong, so unfair; it's a clear example of how far we still have to go to attain a resemblance of equality and fair share.
ReplyDeleteSusan Maushart writes in the Mask of Motherhood how working moms today feel that their job outside of the home is a privilege. A treat. To get outside for a bit, have some time to do "her thing." Or if she works full time, maybe she feels it's her right.
Do men feel like working is a privilege, a right? asks Maushart poignantly. (the answer is no).
We need to stop thinking this way about work and moms. It's not an extra bonus or treat for a mom to also have a job outside of the house in addition to the work she does inside of it as a mother and typically the main housekeeper and cook.
The salary discrepancy is of course a major issue here. Because women on average earn less than men, his job is seen as more important than hers. If her job can't make up for daycare costs, then indeed her working becomes a luxury for the family; something she does to continue "her thing." this is wrong, wrong, wrong.
And no, it's not the sole responsibility of women to "fix" this situation, on the contrary.