Editorial: Equal pay for women
Women's Day: Unequal pay for work must be corrected
El problema de la valoración de la mujer en la fuerza trabajadora se refleja en la falta de políticas laborales que la perjudican Crédito: Archivo/Ciro Cesar / La Opinión
The disparity between women’s and men’s salaries reflects an injustice in which gender represents a factor in professional recognition and employment compensation.
A woman earns on average 82 cents for every dollar earned by a man for the same work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gap is even larger for African-American and Latina women, who earn 64 and 55 cents, respectively, for every dollar earned by a white man.
It is estimated that twice as many women as men are in the ranks of the working poor, and two thirds earn minimum wage.
It is said that education is the way to move up in the world, but not even similar academic preparation among men and women leads to equal pay.
There have been legislative attempts to correct this situation, but they have been defeated under the argument that they would destroy the meritocracy on which employment compensation is supposedly based. This is ironic, because when the gender of a person is relevant when it comes to promotions and pay, the merits of their work are distorted. For that reason, reestablishing this meritocracy is precisely what correcting this gap would do.
The problem of the valuation of women in the workforce is reflected in an absence of labor policies that hurts them. Examples include the lack of compulsory maternity benefits, family care, and affordable daycare. It is not fair to penalize working mothers without helping them or providing them with the facilities and flexibility they need.
Today, on International Women’s Day, we are mindful of the economic injustice that exists in an advanced society like our own. We do not forget that the situation of women in other parts of the world is one of fragility, exploitation, and, frankly, desperation. These are violations of human rights that cannot be ignored.
Now is the time to truly value the work of women in the world of labor and for them to receive fair and professional treatment from their male coworkers, taking into account their valuable contributions over their gender
