Gender Equality, Equal Pay, and Work Life Balance

Equal Pay

We have seen a lot of headlines in the news lately about the gender pay gap. It took a long time for this country to recognize gender equality when it came to voting rights, having careers, and just about anything else you can think of. However, if you think gender bias is a thing of the past, think again. We have found that many Fortune 500 companies have a pay disparity between women and their male counterparts. It doesn’t matter if you are doing the same job or not.  In some cases women might even have increased responsibilities over the higher paid male at their office.

Gender Equality

We are starting to see Silicon Valley start-ups get creative to equal out and dissipate this gap. They are offering additional perks to working mothers like additional paid time off after having a child. In some cases, they are even allowing for maternity leave in the year following the child’s birth, so that you can spend more time with your children while they are young. Large companies like Netflix are leaving the window of time off open and up to you within the first year. In the spirit of gender equality we are seeing similar paternity offerings as well. These same companies are giving fathers similar time off that was once reserved for mothers only.

Working women have long been viewed more harshly and with sharper criticism than men. The 1950’s mentality of barefoot and pregnant, spending long hours doing laundry, and cooking in the kitchen were ingrained into the minds of so many. These days women are becoming more independent, and being recognized positively for doing so.

Work Life Balance

Another area that society tended to frown upon was meeting men and women online.  Now, there are several sites for busy professional women to go on to find a significant other that matches their interested like Match, eHarmony, and Badults.  Working professionals of both genders can go online and with a few clicks of a button find eternal love, or a casual date every now and again.

We all need to strive to further distance our society from the gender disparity it has long endured. Progressive thinking and less criticism will go a long way in doing so.

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