Despite challenges, Women's Day is celebrated
This column is being written on International Women's Day. Protesters gather as women took part in A Day Without a Woman, taking a day off from their jobs. The rallying point, "Be Bold for Change" is an effort to make clear the impact women have on the economy, productivity, education and challenges they face in the workforce.
According to the U.S. Census, women make up 47 percent of the workforce and dominant in professions like registered nurses, dental assistants, accountants and pharmacists.
They are one third of all physicians, surgeons, lawyers and judges. Women are fifty-five percent of college students.
U.S Education Department data show that three-quarters of kindergarten though high school teachers are women; in elementary and middle schools they 80 percent of teachers.
Studies by the National Center for Education Statistics report than on average male public school teachers earn 10 to 13 percent more than female teachers. However, according to the report "a little more than half of this difference is accounted for by differences in the characteristics of male and female teachers."
No description of the "differences in the characteristics" is included in the data.
We've come a long way since Susan B. Anthony was arrested, tried and convicted for voting in the 1972 presidential election. Suffragists would campaign for another 50 years before the 19th Amendment was passed giving women the right to vote.
The Equal Rights Amendment, "equality of rights under the law shall not be abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex" was first proposed in 1923 and passed by Congress in 1972.
Activist Phyllis Schlafly campaigned against the amendment based on idea it would force women in to the Selective Service draft and end the "financial obligation of the husband to provide the support," of their wives. "It is his obligation and his sole obligation."
ERA continues to be stuck in a debate about how many states it takes to ratify an amendment.
Census data reports that in 2015 women earned 80 cents for ever $1 a man made. Median income for women was $40,742 while for men it was $51,212.
After answering more than 30,000 question on his "Ask the headhunter" website, professional recruiter Nick Corodilios has made the difference clear.
"Employers pay women less because they can get away with it."
For decades female employees have been wrapped up in myths that they must change their behavior to get paid more. Things like having children, interrupting careers for their families, an unwillingness to argue or a lack of confidence. Or a reluctance to wage battle for a deserved raise.
Hope is coming with the millennial generation of women.
Laurent Noel, co-author of a report for the International Consortium of Executive Development Research says "our research shows the top reasons why (millennial) women leave (a job) are not due to family issues. The top reasons are due to pay and career advancement."
Basically if they're not appropriately paid for the work they do and employers don't want to increase it, they quit and take their skills to another, better job.
God bless 'em every one.
Judith McGinnis can be reached at Judith.McGinnis@timesrecordnews.com or 940-763-7534