Are women really treated equally in the
workplace? 
Sunday,
August 26th, 2007
Today is Women's Equality Day. Women have made strides
beyond belief in the past century, and it's safe to say that
there is really no job a man can hold that a woman cannot,
anymore. In 2006, of the 118 million women in the
U.S. ages 16 and older, 70 million of them (almost 60%)
were either working or looking for work. Yet, as
of last year also, women still make only 77 cents on the dollar
of what men make. Here's a sad fact: in 2006,
only 15.6 percent of the Fortune 500 companies' corporate
officers were women, and only 14.6 of their board directors.
Although there is rarely obvious discrimination to speak of,
behind the scenes, there is an attitude that is still
looming. It is normal for a boss to go out with fellow
managers to lunch, but it's still faux paus if he takes his
pretty secretary. It's acceptable for a woman to
advance in her career, but when it comes down to a longterm and
pretigious position, there are whispers behind closed doors about
her engagement ring, or her wedding ring, and whether or not
maternity leave would be a concern.
I've seen it happen. In fact, I can hardly think of a
position I've held where there wasn't a row of
white-haired, white men along the wall, in the posh offices, and
I've been asked to bring coffee to them, or go out and get
lunch for them. When I wasn't a secretary. Not
that I'm sure secretaries should even be doing that
anymore. And I've been encouraged to gossip with
others, to find out who is not working enough hours, who
wasn't really sick that time, who surfs the internet in the
morning. I've heard an employer say that a
woman is having too many babies. I've heard an
employer say that they feel like terminating someone just
because their healthcare costs are too high. These things
are said and those of us who are told them
think instead about our mortgage, or our children, or
something at home, and we ignore the weight of what was said
because we have to worry about our own jobs, and who signs
our paycheck.
I believe that any of us can fight the corporate ladder and
win. But do we sacrifice our morale or our dignity in doing
so? Do women struggle harder with the dog-eat-dog mentality
it takes to get ahead, and is that why we're left behind?
1. Know your rights, and what you're worthy of
making. According to an IMRB survey, 78% of women agree to
take lower salaries in comparison to men, and 67% don't
bother asking for a raise or a higher position, even when they
know that they deserve it. It is important to know what
you're worth!! Go to Monster.com's Salary Wizard: you can find out how
much people in your field and your zip code are making, and what
you deserve to make! Monster also has some great career
advice articles for negotiating your salary.
2. View the action alerts at the National Organization for
Women's site, where you can help women get their fair pay
through petitions and contacting legislators!
3. You can put the following graphic on your MySpace or
website to raise awareness about women's role in the
workplace!
Here's the code:
4. Wear your
cause!
The data in this article was composed from:
(1) U.S.
Department of Labor
(2) The Census Bureau
(3) 2006 Catalyst Census
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