Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Caucasian women are paid between 77 and 96 cents for every dollar men make, depending on industry or job category. (African-American and Hispanic women are paid about 67 cents and 60 cents respectively).
The Paycheck Fairness Act, first introduced in 1997 — and re-introduced 10 times since then — would update the 1963 law to close loopholes and strengthen workplace protections for women.
Critics of more robust equal pay laws contend that “perceived” pay disparities aren’t the result of discrimination, but can be attributed to seemingly justifiable differences in pay for specific occupations, education level, job tenure, hours worked, job responsibilities and level of liability or risk involved.
Various sources say that women often choose lower-paying fields, leave the workforce for long periods to raise children, don’t work long hours, seek flexible working arrangements and generally aren’t the main breadwinners.
Critical for business and society
Most of these arguments reflect long-held societal expectations, assumptions that:
- Children and home management are largely (and should be) the obligations of women.
- U.S. family units are still represented by mom, dad and two children.
- Dad is (and should be) the higher-earning spouse.
The “mommy effect” in our workplaces is disturbing. According to a 2014 report in The New York Times by Claire Cain Miller, numerous studies show that men are rewarded in the workplace when they become fathers and mothers are penalized in the areas of pay, work expectations and performance ratings.
Slowly, demographic changes and the rise of women in leadership roles should help shift workplace cultures.
Women comprise half the workforce. Fewer than half of U.S. children are living in a home with two married heterosexual parents. Seventy-one percent of mothers with children work, and a single parent heads 34 percent of households. Women are the primary means of support in 40 percent of households with children.
Perhaps a key to the future — although only 4.2 percent of Fortune 500 CEO positions are held by women, they head a number of traditionally male-dominated industries: automotive, energy, aerospace, technology and banking. It will be interesting to see if these female CEOs ensure equity in their own companies and influence other businesses.
The Ryan-Zuckerberg Effect
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg may be doing more to overcome societal stereotypes — at least in leadership ranks — than could any female role models.
Before agreeing to be elected to the top House role, Ryan made it clear that he would be spending many weekends with his family in Wisconsin instead of traversing the country attending fundraisers. Zuckerberg and his physician-spouse both took parental leaves to welcome their newborn. No one is suggesting that either of these high-profile males is any less committed to their work.
Let’s follow Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s lead and stop asking only women if they can “have it all.” Instead, let’s ask women and men together to look toward an equitable and fulfilling life in the future.
Becky S. Cornett is on the Board of Directors of Women for Economic and Leadership Development, and Barb Smoot is the President and CEO of WELD, which desires to increase the number of women in business and government leadership in Central Ohio.
