Student Spectrums

Zolal Omarkhil writes about topics relevant to students in the United States such as the benefits of learning multiple languages and the rise of school shootings. She gives her own perspective on how much she has benefited from being multilingual and hopes to inspire readers across the world.

With the continuous effort to fight for equality for all, women seem to not be a part of it. For many years women have fought to get paid equally as their male peers. Women in the workplace still face challenges like unequal pay, fewer leadership roles, and limited access to resources. Even with progress toward gender equality, these problems persist, especially for women of different races and economic backgrounds. 

The struggle for gender equality in the workplace has been around for centuries. In the early 1900s, women were mostly excluded from professional jobs and were told to work as teachers, nurses, or staying home and looking out for their children. During World War II, many women stepped into jobs traditionally held by men. However, after the war, they were often pushed back into lower paying roles. According to Britannica, despite this, wage gaps and gender discrimination in higher paying fields and leadership roles have persisted. This history shows how long gender inequality has existed and why it continues to be a challenge.

A major example of workplace inequality is the gender pay difference. According to the article “The Enduring Grip of the Gender Pay Gap” Rakesh Kochhar says, “Women still earn only 62 cents for every dollar earned by men, and this gap is even wider for women of color.” Kochhar is showing people evidence with statistics to emphasize the fact that this is an ongoing issue. Many people tend to turn a blind eye when it comes to the subject of women being paid less than men, but if we are shown the numbers and a good amount of proof, which Kochhar is doing here, it will help educate people about this issue. 

In addition, women often face discrimination in the workplace, which exacerbates the pay gap. According to Pew Research Center, “About four-in-ten working women 42% in the United States say they have faced discrimination on the job because of their gender. They report a broad array of personal experiences, ranging from earning less than male counterparts for doing the same job to being passed over for important assignments, according to a new analysis of Pew Research Center survey data.” Kim Parker and Cary Funk show readers that women don’t only face discrimination when it comes to being paid but also harassment and other kinds of discrimination. There really isn’t an answer as to why women face these challenges except that it may be the fact that women are seen as less competent and emotional, which is what might give men the idea to show hate and discrimination.

These statistics and the amount of evidence there is when it comes to women being treated less than in the workplace raises many concerns for my future. I aspire to have a career in the dental health field and it is a fact that this is a male dominated field along with the rest of medical professions. I should not have to fight for my rights to something I deserve equally as much as anyone else.

Women work hard and complete the same amount of education as men in order to become doctors yet end up being treated as something less. Looking at the numbers and knowing the history of this topic creates many fears and makes me question whether or not we will ever be heard and get paid the same as men.