The fall season in gender-gap news has started early and with a bang. A study released yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that male doctors earn over 25% more than female doctors. Why am I not surprised? There is a constant stream of stories showing gender disparities like this: that Obama gave only 35% of Cabinet-level posts to women, that men still write 87% of Wikipedia entries, that they are approximately 80% of local news-television and radio managers, and over 75% of philosophers.
After decades of antidiscrimination laws, diversity initiatives and feminist advocacy, such data leads to an uncomfortable question: Do women actually want equality? The answer seems transparently, blindingly, obvious. Do women want to breathe fresh air? Do they want to avoid rattlesnakes and fatal heart attacks?
But from another perspective, the answer is anything but clear. In fact, there’s good reason to think that women don’t want the sort of equality envisioned by government bureaucrats, academics and many feminist advocates, one imagined strictly by the numbers with the goal of a 50-50 breakdown of men and women in C-suites, law-school dean offices, editorial boards and computer-science departments; equal earnings, equal work hours, equal assets, equal time changing diapers and doing the laundry. “A truly equal world,” Sheryl Sandberg wrote in Lean In, which is still on the best-seller lists months after its spring publication, “would be one where women ran half our countries and companies and men ran half our homes.” It’s a vision of progress that can only be calculated through the spreadsheets of labor economists, demographers and activist groups.
Read more at [TIME.com]
Do women really want equality, a “50-50 breakdown of men and women in C-suites, law school dean officers, editorial boards and computer-sciecene departments; equal earnings, equal work hours, equal assets, equal time changing diapers and doing the laundry” or simply the opportunity to purse such ideals, if and only if they so choose? Is equal pay for equal work the equivalent of mandating equal interest in work, jobs, and hobbies pursued by men and women? If men and women are motivated by differing – perhaps even competing – factors, can true equality ever exist?
The last sentence in that article resonated with me:
"Equality-by-numbers advocates should be thinking about women’s progress in terms of what women show that they want, not what the spreadsheets say they should want."
I believe this is a legitimate point. The less data that can be misconstrued the better society will be able to find realistic solutions.
I enjoyed the article. Personally, I only wish to pursue whatever job I want and receive equal pay. I wholeheartedly agree with the points in the article showing that women are more likely to pursue jobs in any profession that still give them time at home with their families.
I believe men and women were designed to play different roles within the structure of families but not in the work force. I believe that men are always expected to work while women work when they have to and when they have a desire to…and this is definitely going to alter the stats.
For as long as women are given opportunities to pursue whatever career they want and receive pay that is in line with their peers (male and female with similar jobs, education, and experience), than to me, that's all the equality I personally need. Do I believe this has been achieved? No.
I think pay should be determined by skill. I also think companies should have the right to evaluate their talent anyway they see fit. If you don't like it, don't apply for a job there or desire to work there.
It's hardly ever based on skill alone. I doubt skill is even the biggest factor usually.
-Tenure
-Personality/charm
-Negotiation ability, power of persuasion (here is where men receive favorable bias)
-"How bad do we need this person right now?"
@Young Heaux
Negotiation ability is talent. Talent is valuable.
Heaux stop trying to get over in life & get your weight up
Heck no I don't want true equality. I just want human/civil rights.
I don't want the responsibilities of men. I just want to reap the benefits of their labor and rewards!
LOL ….
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@Anthony
She kept it 1 MILLION!!!
If you want equality for real then get rid of female only benefits like maternity leave. You want time off for your baby how about you quit then try to get your job back.
How about no, LOL!
Instead, men should fight for paternity leave! When I had my first born, my ex hub was off for two weeks, then he did half days for two weeks. I spent the last two weeks alone with him before, sending him to daycare and going back to work. Dad's need that time to bond and help out too, shoot. They're only that little once…
My ex hub and I split time off when they're sick, both take them to appts…all of that. Dad's need family-friendly leave too.
What if men dont want paternity leave? It seems kinda backwards to give women maternity leave then say it'd be equal if men took paternity leave.
You cant punch me, then tell me i can punch you back and that'll make it even. Just don't punch me in the first place.
Men (who are happy about the arrival of their child and committed to being a good father) want to spend quality time with their newborn and help with the care of their children. So paternity/family-friendly leave is essential for them.
Just like for women who don't want children, if you don't have kids and don't need it, you don't have to use it. But, it should be an available option for those who do want and need it.
I don't even see how this leave issue is relevant to the topic anyway, lol. I was just responding to Bruh Logan's (imo) crazy suggestion of getting rid of maternity leave…as if fathers don't need time to spend with their newborn and help out as well. Spoken like men with no children, LOL…
Why not just give everybody the ability to take 2 months off without getting fired for whatever reason? Why give people (men OR women) who want to have kids special benefits that other workers dont have?
Its discrimination, is what it is. Not unlike giving tax breaks to married people. Why does the establishment want people to get married and have kids?
I advocate for Single Childless People Rights, and its not fair that such people get routinely denied benefits given to the married and the child-laden.
Are you serious or are you just being contrary???
I'm kinda hoping you're just being contrary, lol…
Had no clue this was a real movement…learn something new everyday. *shrugs* lol…
I feel you 110% @ 12 Point!!!
Childless single people get slighted ALL the time. The only thing that's big anymore after college is your birthday (and really only milestone birthdays). People are encouraged to give gifts for weddings, baby showers, graudations, etc. However for the single and childless grown ppl, maybe a Christmas gift and acknowledgment on your Bday.
Not to mention at work. Single childless people are expected to work longer hours, asked why they are taking longer vacations (or why they vacation often), asked to travel more for work (which could be a plus or a minus), etc.
And let's not even mention tax season. No exemptions, unless you own a house, student loan debt, etc.
Its tough out here, lol. (this is written in jest, but its sorta kinda true) *sings: It's hard out here for a pimp!*
However, if I get to other side, I'm sure my tune will change 🙂
" Single Childless People Rights"
YES, YES, & YES! People drive me crazy with this. I am constantly paying for OTHER people and their children and it drives me CRAZY! I'm all for single, childless people rights. We need a voice dammit! I think we need our own elected officials and EVERYTHING!
Seriously? There is such a thing as paternity leave. Most of the men on my job use it when their kids are born and onward. Also, don't get it twisted on the maternity leave thing. Maternity leave at my job is just a mish mash of short term disability, FMLA, vacation and sick time. FMLA can be used up to 12 weeks, but it is unpaid. Men and women can both use these.
Men normally do receive paternity leave, It's not as long as a female's, but a man's body also doesn't have to reacclimate itself to normalcy.
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So you do acknowledge the inherent differences in men and women. Logic would then go on to say that since we require different ways of living our lives then we are not equal.
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That's kind of a loaded question. It's basically a yes or no question. I'd be a fool to say women aren't different from men, I mean we are. But I guess the question is where does the equality come in and where does the acceptance of differences come into play. If I am with my spouse, then yes I am falling back and he has the lead. Not an issue with me. If we are in the workplace, then we are equal. If we are performing the same duties, unless there is a difference in education or experience, I do expect the same pay. I'm not looking to abolish a man's role in my life. However, If i'm out I the work place, just as he is looking out for him, I gotta look out for me which involves fair pay. In the same sense if a woman goes for a job that's normally for a man,(i.e construction) I expect her to perform to the T.
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I used to work for an employer who gave generous leave to the "primary caretaker" (this was to give fathers, gay couples, etc. leave as well). & the CEO was a woman.
I don't think men & women should ever be equal, because that's not how we were created. I wouldn't dare jump out to save him in a fight, fix a man's toilet, kill a spider in his apartment or change his flat tire because that's not in a woman's nature. Some of us grow up more "tomboyish" than others, but women are still the more emotional sex. We are the weaker sex & that's alright. Women need to embrace it & deal with it, instead of wasting time and energy competing to be a man.
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There we have it.
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@CV
WORD
We sure ain't getting equality when there's a woman on every corner validating these basic ass ideas. We are not the "weaker sex."
Exactly. Women like this are the worst enemies to equality.
Basically
Can someone please, PLEASE help me understand how the reality of men and women being different means that men and women should not be equal? Your personal inability to win in a physical altercation or muster up the courage to kill something 1% of your size in no way extrapolates to explainable disparities in wages, career opportunities, relationship "duties", etc. It honestly makes no sense, especially for those of us who are considered "knowledge workers". For example, my 5'4" 130 lb frame, fully equipped with boobs, in no way entitles my corporate male counterparts to earn more than me (given they too have a Master's, similar experience, and salary negotiation skils, etc.).
The assertion that gender inequality exists because women want it to is a slap in the face to those of us who don't share that sentiment.
I'll agree that the sexes are different but that in no way automatically means unequal.
The reason we get paid less is because we are valued less in this world. It's sad, but it is that simple.
People need to stop acting brand new. "Most Women Don't Really Want Equality"
Didn't read the article. Went to the bottom of the page to look at the author blurb, found out she's associated with a heavily right wing think tank associated with anti-poor, anti-minority, etc. sentiments. No surprises there. I think it's funny black folks are so dominantly liberal/democrat but when it comes to women and gender issues we're so behind and on par with right wing nutjobs.
@YH
No matter where it comes from, you will always blame patriarchy for putting women up to it.
If you are talented, persistent & have a strong sense of politics, you will make it in America.
Stop trying to get over. It is not working for you. Try something else.
Furthermore, much of the gender pay gap conversation doesn't even apply to us like that. White women get paid more than black men.
This post completely muddled two different things: getting equal pay for doing the same work, and wanting to be a ceo or whatever. The two have nothing to do with each other. I agree that part of the reason women aren't well-represented in the top positions is because they don't want to, and I don't have any problems with that. I personally would not want to work 16 hours a day 6 days a week, and I honestly can't really understand why anyone would. So I'm not bothered if women choose to stay at home or do jobs that they find enjoyable. What I do have a problem with is that this is somehow used as an excuse to give women LESS pay for the SAME job. Same qualifications, same experience, and I get paid less just cause I don't have balls? That's some bullshit.