As the feminist movement continues to advance, the wage gap and the role of gender in the workplace are more and more important topics of conversation.
Women typically receive 79 percent of the pay men do. If we want to live in an equitable society, then it’s obvious this problem requires more of our attention.
A Cornell University study shows women who work in the exact same field as men still earn less money. Moreover, men dominate 26 of the 30 highest-paying jobs. Women, on the other hand, dominate 23 of the 30 lowest-paying jobs, including housekeeper and food server.
These are areas of serious concern. Fortunately, they’re also problems my peers discuss on a regular basis, which means people are noticing the wage gap.
However, the ongoing disparity between men and women in the military doesn’t come up in discussion as often.
The United States Department of Defense recently removed gender-based restrictions on military service. And last week, Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson was nominated to head the U.S. Northern Command. If the Senate approves her nomination, she will become the first woman to lead a combatant command.
We need to watch events like these closely, as they set strong precedents for equality in the future. The military embodies a male-dominated career path, but even here, there’s room for change.
Once more women like Gen. Robinson break boundaries, further opportunities to close the occupational gap between men and women will arise. For now, there’s still a very long way for us to go.
Keelia Moeller welcomes comments at [email protected].