Essay Sample: Should Women Get Paid Less Than Men?

Women have long been fighting for equality not only in education matters but also in securing job positions that were previously considered masculine. As if this was not enough, they even went ahead to scout for pay that is commensurate to the positions they held and which was on par with what their male counterparts were getting. The advent of equality when it comes to salaries paid to both male and female has thus become one of the biggest bone of contention eliciting different reactions and opinions across different spheres of the society. Most people are usually of the view that women are never supposed to have a pay that is equal to what their male counterparts get irrespective of their academic and professional qualifications. Why one may ask? The foundation for their thoughts is not always very clear and is typically thought to border ignorance and culture (Gerhart & Rynes, 1991). Women, just like men, deserve the best of appreciation when it comes to rewarding their efforts. As such, women should equally be appreciated and remunerated accordingly by their output and not on the basis of "the stronger" versus "the weaker" sex. The stereotypical belief of women being paid less than what men earn should thus be done away with, and remuneration pegged on performance.

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Take for instance in the military field. Women are always on the front line ensuring safety for the citizens of a country just like men do. They at times perform exemplary well, more than even their male counterparts. Why then do they deserve a lesser pay relative to what men get? Does having breasts and hormones that make them different from men warrant the pay disparity envisioned in most areas of the society? These women sacrifice a lot. They go out of their way and sacrifice not only their families but also their relationships just to take on roles that cement their worth as women. The idea of balancing out between work and other responsibilities bestowed by the same society towards them is unimaginable. And then arises the notion that women are not fit to earn a pay cheque that is similar to what men receive? On what grounds are these arguments based? Are we just blindly subscribing to ideologies that we found already existing without even questioning them? Women, just like men, deserve better. Better in terms of the amount of money they earn, not because they are merely women but based on the idea that a worthy output deserves a worthy appreciation (Gerhart & Rynes, 1991).

Some advocates of unequal pay hold dear the belief that most of the women leave the workforce because they are unable to strike a work-life balance or have plans of getting children. This is just s a misconception. Research conducted to find out the main reason behind women leaving the workforce unraveled the reason as simply being "I found a job elsewhere and it pays more." Such indicate the changing times and transformation that are taking place in the society as more and more women are getting aware of their worth not only as homebuilders but also as productive members of the society. Note should, therefore, be taken on the unquestionable contribution made by women towards driving the goals of organizations and institutions and reward extended to them based on their contributions and not their gender (Malkiel & Malkiel, 1973).

Nowadays, women are even more educated than men. In the recent past, education or lack of was rampantly being used as a tool to determine how much a person should earn. Women were not privileged enough as the society had put more emphasis on the importance of educating the boy-child while openly appearing to neglect the need of educating girls. For the few girls who managed to get an education, there was a set extent beyond which they could not attain. Women were thus forced to settle for less since they lacked the professional qualifications that would warrant a better pay. The narrative has, however, changed as more and more women are now scaling educational heights and realizing their ambitions (Malkiel & Malkiel, 1973). They have thus been able to set the stage for themselves and create a pedestal where they command just as much as men do and sometimes even more. These efforts should thus be reflected in their pay cheques, more so now with impeccable educational qualifications to go with it.

Women thus deserve a pay that reflects the responsibilities that they assume at work. That's because they have over time proven their worth sometimes taking on duties that were traditionally thought to be a preserve of men. Gender should thus not be used as a tool for measuring who should be paid more than whom. Instead, performance and general output should be put into consideration when determining how much one should earn, and if women deliver more than men, then it would only be right if they get rewarded more than the men. The focus should be made on what rather than who.

References

Gerhart, B., & Rynes, S. (1991). Determinants and consequences of salary negotiations by male and female MBA graduates. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76(2), 256.

Malkiel, B. G., & Malkiel, J. A. (1973). Male-female pay differentials in professional employment. The American Economic Review, 63(4), 693-705.