There have been several arguments about the gender pay gap. Some think that it's only a complaint by feminists while some believe that it truly does not exist.
According to Huffington Post, the gender pay gap is not to be dismissed. Some argue that the wage gap of 79 cents per dollar that a man earns is "oversimplification."
There are those who believe that women's "life choices" are the reason behind the gender pay gap. However, it is society that still forces women to stay home full-time because of the lack of child care support provided.
It was noted that women who don't get married earn about 95 cents for every dollar earned by men. This is troubling since it implies that, to be on equal terms with men, women need to remain single. Moreover, 95 cents is very much different from a dollar.
The publication added that the gender pay gap is worse for women of color. Black women in the U.S. lose over $877,000 in a 40-year career as a result of the wage difference while Latina women lose more than $1 million.
The gender pay gap is not the only economic hurdle that women of color face. They also have lesser benefits such as access to paid sick and family leaves as well as flexible work hours.
There are some who argue that women earn less because they work in lower-paying fields such as teaching, nursing and social work. While this is true, women still earn generally less when they enter traditionally "male" fields of work.
"It's not that women are always picking lesser things in terms of skill and importance," a researcher said to The New York Times. "It's just that the employers are deciding to pay it less."
Fortune noted that female CEOs of the largest public companies in the U.S. made more than their male peers. Nonetheless, there are only eight women out of the 101 male CEOs, which make them a minority.
