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goodnewsfl.org
August 2013 15
Cresonia Hsieh
Good News
If a man and a woman, both
one-year post college graduation
with the same degree, work the
same job, for the same number of
hours, they should both be
earning the same salary, correct?
Actually,
according
to
the
American
Association
of
University Women (AAUW),
which analyzed data from a
Department of Education survey
of 15,000 graduates, this is not the
case. The men earned an average
of 7 percent more than women
did.
While CNNMoney reported
that this gender gap could be
attributed to the fact that women
are not likely to negotiate as much
as men do, the research
organization Catalyst reported
that this is not the case. In their
study, they found that 47 percent
of women and 52 percent of men
negotiated a higher salary during
the hiring process, and that 14
percent of women and 15 percent
of men asked for a promotion.
With such a minute difference
between males and females, the
disparity between the pay gap
among the two groups should not
be so great. Yet women still earn
only 82 cents for every dollar men
make.
The cause of the gender gap in
pay is controversial and up for
debate; however, there are
practical steps that women can
take to empower themselves and
their daughters to break through
the proverbial “glass ceiling” that
has historically existed in the job
market.
For her: pick toyswisely
The results of a recent
psychology journal study entitled
“Sex Roles,” showed that
31percent of all girls’ toys
emphasized the importance of
appearance (e.g. make up and
princess dresses), while 46 percent
of boys’ toys fostered employable
skills like invention, mobility, and
problem-solving (i.e. LEGOs and
colored footballs).
Instead of sticking to the
stereotypical
pink-packaged
Barbie doll, buy a toy for your
daughter that unlocks her
potential. Foster her creativity and
problem-solving
skills
with
origami or girl LEGO sets.
Broaden her horizons with
scientific toys like Sea Monkeys
chemistry kits, or butterfly
gardens. Allow her to be technical
with toys like Roominate, which
provides an outlet for girls to learn
about engineering concepts like
circuitry while building their own
customizable
dollhouse.
Encourage her to play on sports
teams that not only teach the value
of cooperation and teamwork, but
also exercise both her body and
competitive spirit.
For you: be confident
First coined by clinical
psychologists Pauline Clance and
Suzanne Imes, the “Imposter
Syndrome” is a psychological
phenomenon that successful
women often feel when they are
in a male-dominated area.
Women feel as if they are there
by chance and are just lucky to
be where they are. The fear is
that they will be eventually
found out as frauds or
imposters.
This is important to be
aware of when first getting hired,
negotiating salaries or speaking
up in meetings. Just remember
that you worked to get where
you are and that you are
precious and valuable. Do not be
afraid to be bold and articulate
your thoughts in a persuasive
manner before co-workers, or to
negotiate benefits and salaries.
For her: allow participation in
physical and problem solving
tasks
Rather than leaving all the
heavy duty chores to the men,
show your daughter that you, as
a mother, can do them too.
Gently
discipline
her
to
cooperate in formerly male-
dominated tasks. For example,
rather than asking your husband
to open tightly sealed spaghetti
bottles, run warm water over the
lid and pop the top off with a
glove. In addition to teaching
your daughter how to cook, sew
and clean, teach her to rake
leaves, fix a flat tire, and mow
lawns.
Showing your daughter that
she can do these tasks is
important because it lets her
know that she is not weak and
that men are not the only ones
who are strong. It tells her that
she can be a problem solver and
fixer-upper too.
For you: save the apologies
According to an article in
Psychological Science, women
apologize more than men do
because women view offenses
more severely than men do.
However, in the workplace,
always apologizing for things you
were not responsible for (e.g.
Male: “My car stalled today.”
Female: “I’m sorry”) can be
damaging to your career. If people
constantly hear you saying, “I’m
sorry,” they may respect you less
because you seem to always be at
fault. Thus, it is helpful to try not
to bring unwanted negative
attention toward yourself.
Although the reason as to
why men are paid more is largely
unknown, as women, we cannot
afford to just throw our hands up
in surrender. It is our part to be
catalysts for change. We must
believe that we can make a
difference in our world at large for
not only ourselves, but for our
children’s future.
Cresonia Hsieh is a freelance
writer. She can be reached at
cresoniahsieh@yahoo.com.
>
WOMEN ATWORK
The Glass Ceiling Effect