Letter: Ending the pay gap between men and women

If you ask women if they have already been paid unfairly, you will probably hear at least one story like this: a woman in her first job discovering that a coworker, also at her first job, is earning more dollars per hour, and neither negotiated their salary. A woman realizing that the employee she had trained earned more than herself. Or a woman who realizes that for decades she has earned less than a male colleague, which has an impact not only on net pay but also on accumulated savings for retirement.

The pay gap between men and women is real. The median income of women working full time in the United States is 80% of what men earn. Women had to work until April 2, 2019 to catch up with what men were doing in 2018. And that's just the average. The pay gap is even more marked for women of color: Hispanic women make only 53% of what white men earn.

Some would argue that it is because women do not choose such high-paying jobs. This can be part of it – the occupation really counts. Jobs traditionally associated with men tend to pay better, regardless of the skills required. The earning potential of a woman can therefore increase by joining a predominantly male domain. However, there is a pay gap in almost all occupations.

Some may still reject the pay gap by saying "she was probably not that qualified". Yet, even in jobs where it is possible to assess an individual's level of experience, training and certification, this gap persists. American Association of University Women (2012) studied 15,000 students one year after graduation. Taking into account variables such as hours worked, occupation, major, APG and the employment sector, the gap was still 7% overall. Computer and information sciences had the highest rate with 23%

Occupational segregation, seniority, family and part-time work, affordable childcare, and workplace discrimination and prejudice are important to understanding the quality of life. 39, pay gap. Learn more about these factors at www.aauw.org.

So what can we do?

AAUW can help women develop their wage negotiation skills through their Work Smart online course. The April program of FM AAUW is scheduled from 19h to 20h15. On April 8, in Room 272 of Barry Hall, University of North Dakota, will introduce Work Smart and give women the opportunity to network and discuss strategies to achieve pay equity.

But the solution should not fall on single women.

Employers can conduct salary audits, prohibit retaliation for wage disclosure, prohibit the use of previous salary history in hiring and be explicit about the possibilities for wage bargaining.

Be aware of the implicit biases and the impact they may have on your attitudes and behaviors. If you are a supervisor, determine whether the bias affects those promoted or on better assignments.

Keep learning and act. Write letters to your legislators in support of the Pay Equity Act. Share your experiences and data on gender equity on social media.

For women, wages are lower, but this is not necessarily the case. Let's take the necessary steps to end the gender pay gap.

Ducioame and Larson are members of Fargo Moorhead Branch, American Association of University Women