Why We Haven’t Had A National Conversation About The Gender Wage Gap
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MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski highlighted the need for a “national conversation” on the gender wage gap and called on Republicans to either “come to the table” on the issue or “be quiet.” Such a turnaround will be difficult while Fox News remains the communications arm of the GOP, as the network has consistently perpetuated sexist rhetoric and dismissed workplace inequality as a “myth” not worth covering.
A recent report from the American Association of University Woman (AAUW) found that, one year out of college, women on average are paid just 82 percent of what men make and noted that the gap tends to grow over time. According to the report, this discrepancy between men and women’s earnings has not improved in the past decade. A 2012 report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research explained that “[w]omen’s median earnings are lower than men’s in nearly all occupations — whether they work in occupations predominantly done by women, occupations predominantly done by men, or occupations with a more even mix of men and women.” As Think Progress has reported, women make less than their male peers regardless of their education level, industry, job, or location.
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