The Right to Be Equal

The Right to Be Equal

Khanokporn Khongnawang
Professor Meredith
ENGL 1302: Sec. 2021
11 May 2016

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Table of Contents
The Right to Be Equal......................................................................................................... 0
The Right to Be Equal......................................................................................................... 2
Original Image .................................................................................................................... 3
Annotated Bibliography...................................................................................................... 4
Visual Argument................................................................................................................. 6
Why Does Gender Pay Gap Still Exist in America ............................................................ 7
Works Cited ...................................................................................................................... 11

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The Right to Be Equal

My project will discuss the issue of Gender Pay Gap. I will use my visual argument to argue that
Gender Pay Gap should not be continues, thus I supporting gender pay gap should not be
continues.

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Original Image

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Annotated Bibliography
Apple Inc. Advertisement. Talent Develop. n.p. n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

This image created by a tribute to Steve Job, the co-founder of Apple Company
after he passed away in 2011. Jobs was an American technology entrepreneur and
inventor, his famous work was, of course, the invention of Apple products. In this
image, “Think Different” is an advertising slogan created for Apple Company in
1997. This advertising campaign also captured other famous people who had an
impact to the world as Albert Einstein, for instance. Because of the uniqueness
and creativity these people had of thinking differently they inspired others and
allowed others to push a human race forward. Print advertisements from this
campaign were also published in Time magazine as well.

Maloney, Carolyn. “21 Cents to Go.”Huffington Post. Huffinton Post, 13 Apr 2016. Web.
4 May 2016.

Gender wage gap has been a contrary topic for more than 50 years. Back in 1963,
president Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, and women equaled approximately
79 cents for every dollar men made. Even though the innovation of technology
and industry create more millions of jobs for women, women still earn less than
men. Maloney states that for over a century, the pay gap has closed by only 20
cents. Today, women are paid just 79 cents for every dollars men earn according
to a report from the Economic Policy Institute, and even earn 10,000 dollars less
than men per year. The author persuades his readers that the Equal Pay Day
should not be focused once a year, but rather should be a priority each day of the

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year. Lastly, Maloney claims this issue should still be brought up regularly until
acted upon and women get the equality deserved.

Samuelson, Robert J. “What’s the real gender pay gap?” The Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 24 Apr 2016. Web. 4 May 2016.

The gender pay gap became a major issue in the presidential campaign. Women
earn only 79 percent of men’s every hour wage. Samuelson argues that this is not
true. He claims, after adjusting for difference in gender employment roles,
accurate ratio is in fact close to 92 percent. Gender wage gap has narrowed
significantly over the past decade, and as more women apply into more
occupations, their wage is likely to be equal as men’s average wage. The author
explains that the claim “equal pay for equal work” is not what the pay gap shows.
Instead, it is the ratio of women's average hourly pay to men average hourly pay.
Because of the difference in job comparison taken into account, the ratio shows
different. Samuelson further argues that there are two points taken when it comes
to equal pay rate. First, women remain more concentrated in lower-paying
occupations than men such as health care aid, receptionist, or cashier; this makes
women’s average pay hourly decrease. Secondly, women still have slightly less
experience than men.

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Visual Argument

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Why Does Gender Pay Gap Still Exist in America
Throughout history around the world, discrimination in all forms has been a
continuous battle; whether it is race, gender, religious beliefs, appearance or anything
else that makes someone different from another. One significant discriminatory issue that
the world population is currently facing occurs within the work place - gender inequality.
Women who are equally trained, educated, and have the same experience as men are not
getting the equal salaries and benefits that they deserve. Although the government has
implemented several public policies to reduce the gender gap, this gap still persistently
exists in almost all industrial institutions. As a female college student who will soon be
graduating and entering the work place, this controversial topic concerns me. In this
essay, I will discuss the viewpoints of both sides, those who support the gender wage gap
and those who oppose it and argue that this topic will still be included in an American’s
cultural literacy ten years from now.

Previously, in late 18th century the most important job for a woman was often
taking care of her husband, running the household, or farm and plantation. During World
War II, women had significantly entered the labor force and have been paid less than men
since. Back in 1963 President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, which made women
earned approximately 59 cents for every dollar men made. Over the past 53 years, the
world has made a lot of progress. New technology has been invented, introducing the
personal computer or Internet, and the innovations of technology and industry have
created more millions of jobs for women. Women still earn less than men. Today, women
are paid just 79 cents for every dollar men earn according to the report from the
Economic Policy Institute and even earn 10,000 dollars less than men per year (Maloney

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2). There are still many factors that contribute to this pay gap such as the differences in
education, field of study, or occupation, and even if these factors have been controlled,
the gap still remains.

Also, there is an argument that “some or all of this gap could result from the
outright gender discrimination”, Maloney said. Furthermore, there is no explanation or
reason after accounting for a college major, occupation, hours worked, type of
undergraduate institution, age, or martial status; a female earn seven percent less than a
male college graduate one year after graduation. Similarly, according to Economic Policy
Institution found females, who are full time workers, have the earning difference of 12
percent compared to males (Maloney 3). For instance, becoming parents often has a
different outcome for women and men. Women usually take time away from the
workforce or working fewer hours than before. When these women decide to return to
full-time workforce, they may encounter a ‘motherhood penalty’. The research shows
that employers do prefer to hire childless woman compared with the mother, and even if
the job is offered to a mother, the employer offers her a lower salary than other women
(Maloney 4). Whereas, fathers do not offer a penalty compared with other men. Instead,
fathers receive a wage premium for having a child.

In contrast, there are some who question if the pay gap really exists or if the
discrepancy is accurate. Even this issue, the gender pay gap, has become a major issue in
the presidential campaign in 2016. According to Samuelson, the statement that a woman
earns only 79 percent of a man’s wage is simply not true. He claims, after adjusting for
difference in gender employment roles, accurate ration is in fact close to 92 percent. The

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gender wage gap has narrowed significantly over the past decade, and as more women
apply into more occupations, their wage is likely to be equal to a man’s wage. However,
the eight percent difference in male and female wage may not fully from discrimination.
Even though there has been “resistance from some male dominated jobs, or companies
that do not adjust employment practice court discrimination, the gender gap is often taken
as evidence of this” (Samuelson 2). Specifically, there are two major differences between
men and women’s take in account when compare the wage rate. First, despite advances,
woman remains more concentrated and entered the lower- paying occupation than men
do. For example, women usually work as health-care aides, receptionist, secretary, or
server. Whereas, men regularly work as engineers, business, or political leaders.
Secondly, the big difference is that women still have slightly less job experience than
men. Furthermore, there is an argument that women have already achieved equality in
United State. Over the past decade, woman have made great strides in American society,
and have, in maybe ways, surpasses men. Also, “women’s entrance into work force has
created new issues [such as] the work ‘family balance, lingering discrimination, or
affordable care” (Samuelson 4). Moreover, woman enter work place has created issues
where it none need to be exist.

Despite these pro and con arguments, why does pay gap inequality continue to be
an issue? The answer of that question is by reflecting the ideas of society. People learn to
behave in a particular way as dictated by societal values, belief, and attitudes. For
example, society often views riding a motorcycle as a masculine activity, and considers it
to be a part of male gender roles. Attitudes such as this are typically based on stereotypes
which are oversimplified about members of a group. Therefore, women may be thought

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of as too weak to ride a motorcycle. According to this example, when it comes to
consideration about the wage gap inequality between men and woman, stereotypes
usually to be considered. There are the products of historically rooted gender bias that
still thrive today. Even though, many Americans have claimed otherwise; the majority of
the population view men’s labor as more valuable and important in comparison to a
woman’s, regardless of the existence of gender stereotypes. Americans believe in the idea
of masculinity and femininity as men being stronger and women being weak, men are
rational while women are emotional, men are leaders and women are followers.
Therefore, these factors have played important roles for the inequality of pay between
men and women.

In conclusion, I believe this issue will be continuously debated ten years from
now and maybe even longer. This is because the idea of the difference between men and
women still exists in society. Even though society has been changed over the past decade,
it has changed gradually and constantly

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Works Cited
Apple Inc. Advertisement. Talent Develop. n.p. n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
Maloney, Carolyn. “21 Cents to Go.”Huffington Post. Huffinton Post, 13 Apr 2016. Web.
4 May 2016.
Samuelson, Robert J. “What’s the real gender pay gap?” The Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 24 Apr 2016. Web. 4 May 2016.