On International Women’s Day, many activists, economists and everyday feminists have been bringing up one very crucial issue: equal pay for equal work. According to this Global Gender Gap Report, the U.S. is ranked in 28th place — a .74 out of 1 on the gender equality wage scale. Women are still paid 77 cents for every dollar a man is paid. For women of color, that gap is even larger: They receive as low as 49 cents for every dollar a man earns.
It’s safe to say that men have it pretty well off when it comes to financial earnings, so why should they care about equal pay for equal work?
It affects overall family income.
Women are bringing home the bacon. In 4 out of 10 American households, a woman is the sole or primary breadwinner. This means that her earnings affect her sons, her husband and her retired father for whom she saves a portion of her income each month. It’s not just that women are only receiving 77% of what men have; it’s that their relatives are also getting the short end of the stick.
This type of inequality is rarely something that solely affects women, so it’s important to take a step back, and think about ways you can support the women in your life and further this cause.
It would stimulate the economy.
Women have the power of the purse: Roughly 85% of purchasing decisions are made by women. According to a study conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, equal pay would expand the economy, allowing women to have more flexibility in their spending budgets, thus increasing consumer goods sales.
It’s the right thing to do.
On International Women’s Day, we have one question: Wouldn’t the world be a better place if you were judged and rewarded by the work you produce rather than the gender you identify with? The value of a dollar would mean so much more if merit instead of prejudice were behind it. That would truly make the U.S. the land of opportunity for all rather than for just part of the population.
Equal pay for equal work should be our reality because it positively affects our economy and the players and purchasers within it. As a nation that has positioned itself as the leading country in the world, we should be setting the example, not lagging far, far behind it.
