Gender Pay Gap and its Impact on the Society
Gender pay gap remains a significant issue in the US society. Research shows that the working women in the American society earn about 80% of what their counterpart men earn. This gap tends to intensify across the races with African American and Hispanic women earning significantly lower than men. As a result of the gender pay gap, women remain vulnerable to the adverse consequences such as gender inequality and issues in the workforce, educational gap, impacts on physical and mental health, reduced productivity, financial insecurity, and discriminatory attitude. Although there have been various societal efforts and feminist movements aiming at promoting equality in gender pay, the issue remains a significant issue which should be solved to prevent adverse impacts in the society.
The Impact on Gender Inequality and Issues in the Workplace
Despite the approaches implemented to solve the gender pay gap, women still receive relatively less pay in numerous occupations as compared to men. In the contemporary society, the gender pay gap has resulted in numerous impacts that affect women, families, and even the society at large. Firstly, through the difference in pay based on gender, there has been the occurrence of gender inequality and issues in the workplace (Sherman). Many businesses and firms link women with more flexible and straightforward jobs that are in line with their pay requirements (Hadas "Semyonov 1606). At the same time, most businesses and firms consider involving women in tasks related to their biological and societal-bound roles such as cleaning, cooking, and welcoming clients and visitors. On the same note, gender pay gap contributes to the issues in the workplace such as sexual harassment due to the imbalance in power and stability among men and women (Milner, Kavanagh, " Hewitt). Consequently, this affects the relationship between men and women in the societal institutions and sectors such as employment, economic, and education.
The Impact on Physical and Mental Health
Secondly, the difference in pay between genders leads to impacts on physical and mental health among women. Studies show that women who earn a lower income than their male counterparts are in a higher risk of contracting conditions such as depression, anxiety, and back problems. According to research in the US, women with lower income have a 2.5 times higher risk of getting depression than their male partners who are earning significantly more (Milner, Kavanagh, " Hewitt). The disparities in men’s and women’s health regarding their earnings and the gender pay gap also occur as a result of the discrimination in the workplace. Mostly, women perform roles and duties that are likely to affect their mental and physical wellbeing due to the settings and role demands among other reasons. These settings and demands include spending long times at work and handling too much work at the same time. Working for extended hours as well as taking duties with extra demands denies women time for good health habits like physical exercise, enough sleep, and proper diet (Milner, Kavanagh, " Hewitt). Furthermore, the working women who have families with young and schooling children tend to work for long hours both at their workplaces and at home without sufficient and adequate pay. Consequently, women end up suffering from poor health mentally and physically.
The Impact on Financial Insecurity and Instability
Lastly, gender pay gap results in financial insecurity and instability among most women as compared to men in the society. Women are unable to accumulate money, assets, and resources while they are working with most of them earning less in various occupations (Sherman). As a result, this leads to a reduced to enhance their economic security and stability, especially during the advanced ages. Most of the women in child-bearing and rearing ages usually get part-time jobs due to the parenting and domestic demands (Hadas "Semyonov 1617). In most cases, women entering into motherhood face penalties and even losses of jobs or decreased salaries (Sherman). As a result of these disparities, women end up earning significantly low levels of income while sometimes earning nothing entirely. Thus, this reduces women’s productivity by limiting them to part-time and less-demanding jobs and, at times, rendering them unemployed due to the requirements of motherhood, parenting, and gender at large. In this case, men earn higher salaries while also securing full-time jobs that also come with permanent terms. Therefore, men become financially and economically secure and stable while their counterpart women experience a reduced capacity for stability.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the gender pay gap is a significant issue that affects the current society by introducing disparities and differences between men and women. In the last couple of decades, women have increasingly acquired more jobs in businesses, firms, and agencies in the economic sectors. At the same time, women have also secured jobs with improved or even the same level of payment with men. However, research shows that over 80% of the working women are in the gender gap that separates them from men who are earning more. As a result of this gap, the society has experienced various adverse impacts such as gender inequalities and discrimination in workplaces, financial insecurity among women, decreased productivity, poor mental and physical health among women, and even education gap associated with skills required for each gender. Therefore, I feel that the difference in pay between men and women should be solved by enhancing equal pay for both men and women. The society may promote equality through providing equal opportunities in jobs available in firms, agencies, and businesses for both men and women. Thus, this will allow for equal pay for both genders.
Work Cited
Mandel, Hadas, and Moshe Semyonov. "Gender pay gap and employment sector: Sources of earnings disparities in the United States, 1970–2010." Demography
51.5 (2014): 1597-1618.
Milner, Allison, Kavanagh Anne, and Hewitt Belinda. “The gender pay gap is harming women’s health.” The Conversation. Web.12 Sept.2018
Sherman, Natalie. “America’s answer to the gender pay gap.” BBC News. Web.12 Sept.2018 < https://www.bbc.com/news/business-42909987>
