A World of Equal Pay
Imagine a world free of oppression, stigmas, and violence. A world where women don’t have to fight to be heard or seen because they’re already deemed equal. Who decided we weren't? Who decided we should receive less pay? These questions live inside every woman, taking up space and eating at our peace.
In the United States, the gender wage gap is better than it was in the 1960s, but it still remains a problem today.
Now, some may say women gravitate towards less-desirable careers that aren't labor intensive and pay less. While this is a popular claim, how do we explain why women in the same careers as men still receive lower pay? What makes a man more inclined to be financially prosperous, while a woman is designed to suffer?
From these observations, we can ask these simple questions. What allows the work conducted by men to be more valuable than a woman’s? With the immersion of Capitalism into our early society, men were perceived as the “breadwinner,” or provider for the family. As these stereotypes and biases sank into society, divisions were soon constructed within the job field. Women were sentenced to the kitchen while men prospered in white-collar jobs.
But what if women were paid for their housework? For taking care of their children and maintaining their household? How does society expect women to balance a financially abundant job, establish a healthy relationship with their children, and maintain the household? Seems almost impossible, but women do it. So why is their work not deemed valuable? Why is housework/caregiving not deemed as valuable as labor-intensive roles filled by men?
In today's society however, European countries have aimed to value informal caregiving through policies that support women. For example, their policies include cash for care schemes which provides income for caregivers whilst allowing them to move in and out of the labor market. This method can be beneficial for women as their work may be given more value. Men might also be more inclined to work at home and adopt gender roles once bestowed upon women.
If we lived in a world where women were paid for the work they accomplished at home, their work would increase in value. The stereotypes and stigmas that negatively affect them would soon vaporize. Women would finally acquire the confidence to believe in their work, realize their potential, and flourish in white-collar jobs. We can build a society with the promise for equal pay , we just need to change our perspectives.
