women and work. women’s paid &unpaid work women are about 42% of the paid labor force in...
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Women and Work
Women’s Paid &Unpaid Work Women are about 42% of
the paid labor force in developed regions of the world
Around the world, almost 70% of working-age women are employed
Women do the majority of household tasks and child care worldwide
Women’s Unpaid Work
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Child care responsibilities Mothers spend nearly twice as many
hours providing child care at home as fathers do
Women are the primary custodians of child/family health
Women’s paid work In some cases, women
are making inroads into occupations traditionally held by men
Women’s share of professional and managerial jobs has increased
At a much slower rate, women have moved into blue-collar occupations
Low-wage workers Retail sales, child care, fast food,
restaurant work, CNA’s, education assistants, domestic labor
60% of low-wage workers are women 33% of women vs. 20% of men work in
low-wage jobs African American and Latino workers are
over-represented in low-wage jobs
Gender Wage Gap
Equity and Discrimination Women’s work tends to be undervalued Job applications or resumés are most
likely to trigger prejudiced evaluations Women’s successes may be attributed
to luck rather than skill Undervaluing of women’s work is one
cause of the gender pay gap
Gender Pay Gap Women earn 77% of what men earn Effect persists when controlling for
experience, education, industry, and hours worked
Larger gap for minority and disabled women African American—61% Latina—52%
Gender Pay Gap
Women tend to work in lower-paying fields (nursing, teaching) than men do
Traditionally male-dominated fields (medicine, law, science) pay more
The Glass Ceiling Women hold less than ¼
of senior management positions globally
Philippines and Russia at the top—over 40%
Lowest is Japan—7% US is 22nd at 20%
Biological Realities
Men cannot bear children or lactate
Leads to biological argument against women earning as much as men
“Married with children” is a disadvantage for women but an advantage for men
Firm-specific skills argument Men are given greater responsibility
because they are seen as more committed to their jobs—less likely to leave for family obligations
Hence they develop skills which enhance their value to the firm where they work
This in turn leads to better pay and promotions and is what drives pay disparities
Motherhood as a Source of Discrimination against Women Many employers are reluctant to pay
pregnancy-related benefits The US is one of a very few countries
that makes no provision for paid maternity leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act mandates up to 12 weeks of leave (often unpaid) for certain workers
Donnicia Venters case Firing a woman
because she wants to use a breast pump at work is not sex discrimination
Lactation “is not pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition”
Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation Legal in most workplaces in the United
States Such discrimination is illegal in Canada Lesbian and bisexual women earn 13-
15% less than heterosexual women—more likely to be working in low-paying, female-dominated occupations
Women’s Working Conditions Jobs dominated by
women are often difficult and dangerous
For example, risk of serious injury is greater for a nursing aide than for a coal miner or steel mill worker
Factory work can involve long hours, uncomfortable conditions, and high pressure to produce quickly
Some Remedies Reducing gender stereotypes Stereotyping most likely when
The person is a “token” in the work environment
Evaluation criteria are not explicit Organizational norms and policies tolerate
or reinforce gender stereotypes
Some Remedies (cont.) Pay equity legislation: equal pay for
equivalent work Comparable worth: equal pay for work
of equal value Affirmative action: strategies to increase
the proportion of women and minorities hired, particularly in jobs where they have been traditionally excluded
Paycheck Fairness Act Employers would be
required to prove that a pay disparity is based on a “bona fide factor other than sex,” such as education, training, or experience
Passed the US House but was defeated in the US Senate in 2010
Activity Do women need laws such as
Affirmative Action and the Paycheck Fairness Act to achieve wage equity with men?
Does this sort of legislation diminish the achievements of women and minorities?
Activity Does the focus on “leveling the playing
field” foster competitive "masculine” values to the detriment of “feminine” values?
Should women try to “make it in a man’s world” or create alternative structures?
Activity Does the reproductive role of women
justify increased protection for women in the workplace?
Should women be afforded extra benefits (maternity leave) because of biological differences, or is this discriminatory?
References Childcare gap between men and women narrows. (2011, June 16).CBS News. Retrieved March
10, 2012, from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-201_162-20071588.html Fitzpatrick, L. (2010, April 20). Equal pay and the gender gap: Men still outearn women - TIME.
Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1983185,00.html Gibbard Cook, S. (2004). Mothers in the faculty pipeline - Women in higher education. Women in
Higher Education, 13(8). Retrieved from http://www.wihe.com/printArticle.jsp?id=18562 New U.S. Women in Business Statistics Released by Catalyst - Women on Business :: Women on
Business. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2012, from http://www.womenonbusiness.com/new-us-women-in-business-statistics-released-by-catalyst/
Rampell, C. (2011, March 10). Women lead in unpaid work. New York Times. Retrieved from http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/women-lead-in-unpaid-work/
TradePost: Equal Pay for Equal Work. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://tradepost.selectfamily.com/index.cfm/2011/4/14/Equal-Pay-for-Equal-Work
Unequal Harm: Racial Disparities in the Employment Consequences of Minimum Wage Increases | EPI Study. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://epionline.org/study_detail.cfm?sid=137
Vermeulen, F. (2011, February 28). Wage differences between men and women - sexist or functional? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/freekvermeulen/2011/02/28/wage-differences-between-men-and-women-sexist-or-functional/
Work Isn’t Working. (n.d.).Women Employed. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.womenemployed.org/index.php?id=19