Gender Inequality in Employment and Compensation

Gender Inequality in Employment and Compensation

As a women who was raised in a very traditional Mexican household, the issue of gender equality was never discussed. In fact, in many instances it was discouraged. Not overtly where my father would demand that my sisters and I spend all our time next to my mother as she labored around the house but in very subtle ways. He never supported our extracurricular activities often calling them a waste of time. He truly believed that our time was better spent learning the craft of becoming a good wife and mother.

This attitude is not just held by my father. This is a widespread accepted attitude of this country. Woman have and continue to be marginalized in our society especially when it comes to employment opportunities and pay parity. All too often women are subjected to higher hiring standards (and in some instances impossible) and the provable “Glass Ceiling.” As I mentioned previously, this is demonstrated against women at a very young age. For example:

Even at an early age the gender inequality rears its ugly head. Coed teams for the most part become taboo after age five. The word of competitive sports and the gender separation becomes a reality. I see that with my daughter. She plays soccer and is a pretty good player. Most of her playing career has been on coed teams with the emphasis on character and esteem building. Now that she is a teenager, I clearly see that some parents don’t want girls on the team, as they believe it impacts the performance of the boys and their ability to shine. When my daughter hears these things, I remind her that it is just a game; stays focused, and play your game. As a parent I hate the fact that I too will have to succumb to the gender bias pressure, as I don’t want my daughter being ostracized because of her gender. The fact that I have to educate my daughter about gender bias at such a young age is disappointing and frustrating!

I have experienced this great divide of equality many times. When I first started on my path of working in law enforcement I applied for a very large agency in Los Angeles. I was very excited to start on my career. I had prepared myself at that time to the best of my abilities, and more importantly I met their published requirements. I showed up at the testing site bright and early ready to embark on my career. As I walked up to the front of the testing center, I could see the eyes of the male officer’s sizing me from head to toe. A sense of uneasiness came over me and I became paranoid, as if something was about to happen. As their stares intensified it took me away from focusing on the exam I was about to take.

After completing the exam and passing, I was scheduled to sit down and met with one of the very same male officers who was sizing me up. As I sat there he quizzed me, not about the way I wanted to go into law enforcement, but a way such a beautiful girl would want to do a man’s job. I was horrified as he spoke. I couldn’t believe that I was being subjected to the same gender inequality I had been fighting my entire life. I left that interviewed “pissed” and determined that when I was hired by the agency I wanted to work for that I would be in a better position to fight.

As a matter of statics information another agency in Los Angeles County has the following numbers with regards to hiring females:

TOTAL

GENDER

COUNT

PERCENTAGE

MALES

7521

81.8%

FEMALES

1673

18.2%

TOTAL

9194

100%

These numbers are alarming in 2016. 18.2% of the workforce is female and over 81.8% of the workforce is male. These numbers only make me work harder to break into this labor field.

This gender inequality becomes abundantly clear when you look at the pay differences between males and female, as an example, college coaches. Not only are the salaries worlds apart, but also some of the hiring and retention policies are completely and totally absurd. The rules for men and women remain plainly and obviously different. For example, one university states that if a female coach has a disagreement with a player that the player is allowed to bypass the coach and go directly to a higher authority (typically a man) to have their issue resolved. At the same university conversely if a male coach has a disagreement with a player the coach is allowed to institute whatever discipline measures they deem fit without having the input of a higher authority.

Another aspect of the gender inequality falls within the area of looks, sexuality, and the exploitation of women. Women in the arena of college and professional sports continue to be margalinazed not only in the area of pay, but also as sex objects. Reports show that female college athlethes show greater success as posters and calendar pinups as opposed to their success in their respective sports. The word’s highest paid female athlete is tennis player Maria Sharapova. In 2012 and 2013 she earned more than $29 million in earnings. The bulk of earnings were not on the tennis court, but through endorsements and personal appearance.

In a perfect world where these types of inequalities don’t exist the term, “you play like a girl” will no longer be an insult, but a compliment.