Women in the Workplace
Women in the Workplace:
Why We Must Close the Gender Gap
Women in the Workplace:
Why We Must Close the Gender Gap This is an era in national history that will surely be dissected and scrutinized in the years to come by historians and economists alike. That is because, in recent years, the state of the economy in the United States has teetered between depression and recession, limping along at an alarming low rate. Many of the woes & blows that the U.S. economy has been dealt have been attributed to Corporate America and its leadership. Historically, men have dominated corporate leadership positions, from middle management to executive boards to CEOs. Having said that, is it possible that economic recovery lies in the hands of women?
Looking at the history of the gender gap is essential to understanding the need for women’s leadership in corporate America today. In 1890, when the first officially recorded numbers of women in the work force were published, only 15 percent of women claimed to work outside the home and a woman’s annual salary was about half of a man’s (Goldin, 2008). At that time, the “gender gap” could be better described as a canyon. In the 120 years since then, the gender gap has steadily shrunk, if not by concerted effort, then by circumstance and happenstance. World War II and the Civil Rights Movement brought about changes in the workplace that no one could have predicted. In 1960, only forty-percent of all women were represented in the work force...today women represent almost half of the total labor force with almost 80-percent of women working. The numbers really do not paint a clear picture though. Because the problem lies in the lack of women in leadership as shown in this Catalyst visual:
Adding to the inequality, women in their prime wage earning years, ages 30 – 44, are paid on average only 73 percent of men’s salary as noted by Catalyst, a non-profit membership organization committed to expanding the
Why We Must Close the Gender Gap
Women in the Workplace:
Why We Must Close the Gender Gap This is an era in national history that will surely be dissected and scrutinized in the years to come by historians and economists alike. That is because, in recent years, the state of the economy in the United States has teetered between depression and recession, limping along at an alarming low rate. Many of the woes & blows that the U.S. economy has been dealt have been attributed to Corporate America and its leadership. Historically, men have dominated corporate leadership positions, from middle management to executive boards to CEOs. Having said that, is it possible that economic recovery lies in the hands of women?
Looking at the history of the gender gap is essential to understanding the need for women’s leadership in corporate America today. In 1890, when the first officially recorded numbers of women in the work force were published, only 15 percent of women claimed to work outside the home and a woman’s annual salary was about half of a man’s (Goldin, 2008). At that time, the “gender gap” could be better described as a canyon. In the 120 years since then, the gender gap has steadily shrunk, if not by concerted effort, then by circumstance and happenstance. World War II and the Civil Rights Movement brought about changes in the workplace that no one could have predicted. In 1960, only forty-percent of all women were represented in the work force...today women represent almost half of the total labor force with almost 80-percent of women working. The numbers really do not paint a clear picture though. Because the problem lies in the lack of women in leadership as shown in this Catalyst visual:
Adding to the inequality, women in their prime wage earning years, ages 30 – 44, are paid on average only 73 percent of men’s salary as noted by Catalyst, a non-profit membership organization committed to expanding the