Arguments Against Unequal Pay

Unequal Pay is Harmful to Women
Jobs and money rule nearly your entire life, so it should not be acceptable to be compensated less for the same amount of work. Women can face discrimination in the workplace in multiple ways, but being paid less than their male counterparts is an issue that still has not been resolved. The unfair payment, makes women feel inferior to men, causes more household problems, and impacts their quality of life.
Women have been depicted as inferior to men throughout history, this is the one of the main reasons as to why the pay gap exists. Even after almost of century of proving that women can do just as much as men, they still have not achieved the equality they deserve. In 1848, women participated in a series of protests to fight for their right to

vote. The right to vote was finally guaranteed after Congress passed the 19th Amendment on August 18,1920. Giving women the right to vote would not negatively affect anyone or anything, so it is baffling to think that it took over 70 years of hard work to obtain.
Even after many decades of trying to prove that they are equal, many people still believe that women should not go out and work. Men are stereotyped as the person going to work and making money for the family, while women are stereotyped as the stay-at-home caregiver. This mentality often discouraged women from working in the past, but it quickly became more acceptable for both parents to work.
More mothers are entering the workforce, and the pay gap they face can cause household problems. “With women making about 78 cents for every man’s dollar, the gap in earning ends up being roughly about $10,876 less per year on average, which results in single mother families struggling to make ends meet. Also, a form of childcare is a necessity for younger children, and the high price puts an even tighter strain on funds. The average annual cost of childcare for an infant and a 4-year-old in Indiana is $15,678. The amount they lose annually could be used to pay for groceries, gas, bills, childcare, and student loans. The gap is even larger for women of color, and it becomes increasingly difficult to get by. African American women make 64 cents for every white man's dollar, and Latinas only make 56 cents” (“How the Wage Gap Hurts Women and Families”). Women are more likely to work part-time, mainly for family reasons, which means they receive lower hourly wages and less opportunities for promotions and benefits. However, full-time working mothers often have to sacrifice quality family time for their jobs. The precious milestones that they could miss, like having their child say their first word, can never be made up.
Women also tend to turn away from jobs more often because they believe that certain fields are unwelcoming to their gender.

“The bias of gender in the STEM field has discouraged women from taking jobs in math and science. Studies show that when asked to view two identical résumés, the only difference being the gender of the candidates, people were more likely to pick the male. The male candidate, John, was also more likely to be offered a higher salary than the female candidate, Jennifer” (Davidson). People also tend to underestimate a woman’s performance in mathematics, resulting in less qualified men going into jobs that a woman could perform better in. Gender and racial biases are constantly influencing society, and its effects are detrimental to women and people of color. When women are not in the workplace to actively participate, everyone misses out on the benefits of having more diverse opinions. A simple way to reduce the influence of gender and other biases is to remove information about race, gender, and age when making important hiring decisions for available jobs in a company. Jobs should not be biased towards a gender or race, and should only focus on how capable each person

is.
The effects of the wage gap will continue to haunt them when retirement rolls around. Since women face the wage gap as soon as they enter the workforce, the money that they lose begins to add up. “The pay gap increases with age and drops to about 74 cents per dollar, which makes saving up for retirement harder. If a woman worked full time, year round she would lose $435,049 in 40 years” (“Wage Gap Hurts Women and Families”). In order to close this gap, a woman would have to work an extra 11 years. Since they receive less earnings throughout their life, they also receive less Social Security benefits. It is nearly impossible to save a large amount for retirement when most of their money is needed to keep a roof over their heads, put food on the tab, and pay off loans. As a result, women have about half as much in savings compared to men. The lack of savings can cause them to retire below the poverty line. Women tend to live longer than men, so their savings may not even cover their entire time spent in retirement. If she does not adequate funds to live the rest of her life in retirement, she would most likely have to rely on her family to take care of her, which can cause additional hardships.
Women are constantly undervalued and underappreciated in the workforce throughout their entire life. If we want women to live a happier life, solving the wage gap would be a great start. Without the wage gap, women could finally feel equal, home life would be simpler, and retirement would be a more enjoyful experience.