U.S. Gender Wage Gap - Spreading Awareness

                        (Kliff,2016) 

     "In 2020, women [earned] 81 cents for every dollar earned by men, "("Gender Pay Gap Statistics", 2020). Since 2016, the gender wage gap in the United States has narrowed by two cents (Kliff).  However, the economic progress made during this 4 year period did not fully close the wage gap (Kliff, 2016). "In other words, the median salary for men is roughly nineteen percent higher than the median salary for women, " ("Gender Pay Gap Statistics",2020). Based on this research, it can be concluded that more work needs to be done in the United States in order for women to earn the same salary as men. 

    The U.S. wage gap is a national problem that deserves the attention of national activism. Drawing attention to this issue and coming together to find solutions could result in an ideal workplace where employees are paid equally for equal work. Readers should remember that, "...there remains a disparity in how men and women are paid, even when all compensable factors are controlled, meaning that women are still being paid less than men due to no attributable reason other than gender,"("Gender Pay Gap Statistics",2020). Pursuing equal opportunities for employees should be in the interest of anyone who wants to better the economic livelihood of future generations. 

    The data above has indicated that the wage gap can have adverse economic consequences for women. Additionally, the pay gap may have emotional consequences. "In [a] survey... the majority of women [indicated that they did not] agree that they're paid fairly by their employer," ("Gender Pay Gap Statistics" ,2020). When employees feel that they are not being paid fairly, there can be financial and emotional needs that are going unmet by their current work environment. "Feeling underpaid can weigh on the minds of workers, negatively affecting how they view themselves professionally and stirring up feelings of failure, worthlessness and apathy," ("Gender Pay Gap Statistics", 2020). Without further action, the wage gap could continue to adversely affect the emotional state of women in the workforce. 

    In order to close the United States wage gap, we must first bring attention to the cause. Anyone who has been inspired to make a difference can interact with our movement in the following ways. First, share this blog post with five other people in your social network (friends, family or acquaintances). Sharing this post will be helping to bring further attention to the facts behind the gender wage gap and the mechanics behind its construction. Readers can also use the comment section to discuss the information included in this post. Finally, activists can complete this survey to help gauge the success our movement has had thus far. Proceeding forward, it is our hope that this movement will grow and inspire real change to way employers look at wages. 

                                                                        References: 

    Gender Pay Gap Statistics for 2020. PayScale. (2020). https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap 

    Vox. (2016). What People Miss about the Gender Wage Gap . Youtube. https://youtu.be/13XU4fMlN3w