Equal Pay for Equal Work

I think that it is ridiculous that women in the year 2012 are still not getting paid for the work that they do.

I have two daughters and I know how hard they work. They are smarter than most of the boys their age. They are more mature than most boys their age; so why should they be punished because of their gender?

Just because a woman may choose one day to have a child or not to have a child should not determine how much she is paid when she begins her career.

Women should take a stand today and just say,"No!"

Just say no to systemic discrimination for your daughters sake. There are more women than men in most colleges. There are more women than men in the United States today. So why do we let most men and a few women decide how much we should get paid for doing the same a work as a man.

When I was pregnant with my second child, I was put on bed rest for three months. After I delivered my daughter by emergency cesarean, I returned to work in 5 weeks. I could not drive or lift anything greater than 10 pounds. My boss told me you better get back to work soon before you lose your job.

In retrospect, my company was unfair to me. Gender discrimination was prevalent in the 1980's and 1990's. If a man had a heart attack while working, the company could not fire him. They would have to find a temporary replacement to fill the job or delegate his duties to other employees. In this situation there is no advance warning or time to plan. Heart attacks or any other sudden health crisis are not expected and can not be planned for.

Maternity is very easy to build into a corporation's work schedule and into their short term plans. So why are pregnancies treated so very differently from unexpected illnesses? Because we let men get away with it. Demand your fair pay and do not let any boss bully you into thinking that you are worth less just because you are having a baby.

Men can not multi-task as well as women and so they naturally assume that women can not either. Today, 77% of all mothers work outside of the home. We are no longer living in the 1950's when we had very little choice but to stay at home.

Is motherhood a real excuse for unequal pay or is it a reason for men and some women to pay less to a woman because she may take some days off from work? Everyone has unexpected situations that may cause them to miss work but mothers should not be penalized for having children. Everyone takes time off from work regardless of gender.

Have you seen the cost of college tuitions lately? Go to the Working Mother Magazine and find a female friendly work environment and get a job there if your boss is insensitive. My old company now has an emergency childcare facility at one of its offices, just in case your child gets sick and can't go to school or if the nanny is unable to come to work. If only they had childcare on site when I was a young mother, my life might have turned out quite differently.

There are companies that value the women who work for them. If you can't find one, then start your own company.

MOTHERHOOD SHOULD NOT BE A CAUSE FOR PAY INEQUALITY. This is the 21st Century.

DAYM