When I was first starting out as a young journalist, I believed there was no question that I would get paid the same salary as men doing the same job. After all, we’d come a long way, right? Women were not just “weather girls” anymore; we were becoming investigative journalists and sports anchors and producers. I thought my NOW button that proclaimed “59 cents” was a quaint relic of the past.
I learned the hard way that I wasn’t getting paid anywhere near what those newsroom guys were making. Hey, I was single and some of those men had families to support, said the news directors who thought they were justified in paying lower wages to us “girls.”
How am I feeling about Equal Pay Day this year? You can read the rest at iVillage iVote, where I’m 2012 Election Editor this campaign season!
Image via huffingtonpost.com
April 18th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
From my experience in HR, and networking with other HR Pro’s I’m a bit skeptical about the actual pay differences. I am sure there are some, especially in certain areas and industries. But I have never seen true pay disparity in any company I have worked for, and being in HR I know what the salaries are. Some studies have even shown that in certain areas woman are making more since they are on average higher educated. But its a complicated issue, and I know some of it still connects back to male privilege in regards to child rearing expectations. If I took off a few years to stay home with my kids, I would not be making the same money I am today. If I took off work every time my kids were sick, or took on less projects finding that work/life balance I would not have gotten as many promotions. To be honest I think that privilege can me a double edge sword. I would to be a stay at home dad. I hate how much I miss getting home (if i am lucky) in time for bedtime stories.
May 4th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Corey,
It is apart of specific industries, for sure. While working as a welder I had my interviewer at a new job tell me that I was only going to make $10.00 an hour instead of $18.00/hr, because, “Little girls don’t need that much money.”
It happens all the time in the blue collar industries, the welding trade and other factory work especially.