Gender inequality is also fueled by society. The pay gap shows that society does not view equal work done by men and women as deserving of equal pay. In 2012, women made 77 cents for every dollar earned by men ("Global Gender Gap"). In 2013, women, aged 25-34, worked to earn 93 percent of what men their age earn (Reyes). Equal pay for equal work is deserved. Gender inequality also occurs through statistics, as out of all Fortune 500 CEOs: only 4.2 percent are women; out of all state legislatures: only 23.7% are women; out of all Congress members: only 19% are women (Hymowitz). Why is leadership in women not more common?

 

Only 16 percent of the delegates to the World Economic Forum meeting this past year were women, down from last year’s 17 percent. Although women were not a dominant presence at the WEF meeting, the United States will not be implementing job quotas any time soon. According to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg:

        Leadership is associated with masculine expectations. When women do the things that make them leaders, we don’t like               them. And as long as that’s the case,…quotas won’t make the necessary difference since women will not be taken as                         seriously as their male colleagues…what needs to change is the tenor of the ecosystem itself…there are many…values                     within businesses that come out of an era of single-income-male-head-of-household-families. Those legacy messages and               means are all outdated. (De Bode)

 

If women were satisfied and believed that gender equality had been achieved, they would not be attempting to close the pay gap. Those who argue against the gender equality movement often cite exceptions as to why the pay gap exists. They argue that women take lower paying jobs than men, and request days off for reasons such as maternity leave; therefore, they must deserve less pay for less work (Coontz). Women deserve equal pay for equal work, because by assuming that all women fit into the category of accepting lower paying jobs and having children, women are placed into a subservient gender role. Single fathers often earn more than single mothers, and receive more benefits in lines of work (Mather, Fu, and Hansen). Women are paid less than men in every educational level and job category. They are less likely than men to hold jobs that offer flexibility or family-friendly benefits. When they become mothers, they face more scrutiny and prejudice than fathers do (Coontz). Fathers in the workplace are viewed as more likable than mothers. They are more likely to receive promotions, as they seem to have balanced lives (Rice).