Equal Pay: Don't Forget About Mothers!

By Karen and Erica 

Gender pay inequality must stop. We can't imagine anyone disagreeing with that. Let's not forget the additional inequity that working women face when they have children. That, too, makes no sense. 

Kids are an asset for men. Men are congratulated for having propagated. Their commitment to their jobs is not questioned. Nobody asks them how they will take care of their childcare needs. For women, though, it's often different.  Mothers feels that they have to demonstrate continuously that they can handle it all, that they can and will show up every day, that their career is a priority.

There are many reasons for the unease. Perhaps one is that the gap between what women and men are paid for the same job widens when people have children. After becoming fathers, men see a 6% rise in their earnings--maybe because men are now seen to be settling down, becoming breadwinners and stable members of the workforce. In contrast, after becoming mothers, women’s wages decrease 4% for every child they have--maybe because it is assumed that women have to do everything themselves, including taking care of their children, so they can’t possibly devote themselves to their careers. 

Boggles the mind that this is still going on. If a parent is committed to working hard, children don't change that commitment--for men or for women. Equal pay for equal work is fundamental. It’s fair. It’s right. There can't be any “mother” exception.