A Stubborn Gap: Four thoughts for 2007

A Stubborn Gap

The overall wage gap is getting a lot of attention recently in the New York and LA Times, as well through the growing Motherhood Movement. With the potential for female presidential candidates in the next election, we should expect these issues to move toward center stage at the water-cooler in 2007.

Better women’s education has not led to pay parity.

The New York Times revealed last week what our site has been talking about for years: even with increased merits (education, seniority, experience), women are not achieving pay parity with men. The article skirts around the issue that motherhood may be the reason, but doesn’t go deeper into how parenting roles are part of a larger wealth gap for women, and how men are actually part of the solution rather than the problem.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/business/24gap.html?ei=5090&en=933b94a789dad020&ex=1324616400&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Men’s wages are falling as compared to the cost of living.

This is the second story recent news story supporting what earning power has said all along is from the LA Times about how men’s wages stagnating is the reason the pay gap has narrowed.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061204/BUSINESS/61204002/-1/XML07

A cultural shift has not yet taken place, and we are living with the antiquated myths and biases of the past.

We also talked about in the stream of history how the roles of fathers and mothers in the information age have yet to be adapted from the former industrial age into something more modern and accommodating.

http://www.mothersmovement.org/features/06/03/newmyths_1.html

The issue for many women is getting more women into office, regardless of positions on the other issues like war or the economy.

Condoleezza Rice or Hilary Clinton? A lot of little girls are going to be inspired by the idea that a woman could be President. Watch for these women and others becoming the focus of closing the leadership gap in 2007. Andy Rooney did a 60 minutes segment on this topic.

Just remember that in Corporate America executive women are still a rarity, so the leadership gap may be lifted more to the forefront along with the wage gap and other issues concerning mother’s rights if business follows the social lead of politics.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/19/60minutes/rooney/main1513207.shtml

http://uswomanpresident.com/1st.htm