As a young girl, I used to watch Cinderella lose her glass slipper, find Prince Charming, and live happily ever after. How often does that happen in real life? Instead of a glass slipper, women ascend up the staircase only to hit the glass ceiling.
The glass ceiling is a term I learned about in college to describe how someone with equal job experience, credentials, and work performance is paid less than a colleague or is not promoted at the same rate because of her or his sex, race, or disability. In the 21st century, one would think that there would be pay equity in the workforce and that discrimination like sexism would be a thing of the past, but it still exists.
And sexism doesn’t just impact women. It holds back women’s careers and impedes their ability to support their families. Men, wouldn’t you feel angry if you found out that your female friends, relatives, and significant others were cheated out of money that they worked hard for? It’s an issue of equality.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama
Already positive change has happened for pay discrimination under the new Obama administration. As of Tuesday, both the House and the Senate have passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a great victory that undoes a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that took away employee rights.
The Paycheck Fairness Act also needs to pass as a step toward equal pay. It would require employers to justify differences in pay and would increase penalties for discrimination, in addition to further enforcing the Equal Pay Act and fixing any of its shortcomings.
Cinderella didn’t have to worry about the glass ceiling. You and I do. We need to ensure that our daughters, sisters, mothers, friends, and colleagues are all given what they rightfully worked hard for and deserve.
You can participate in AAUW’s campaign for pay equity and tell Congress to “Keep the Change until Women Have Real Change.” There is no reason for us not to take a stand for what we believe in, and what ought to be an undeniable right to everyone. You can support the “Keep the Change” campaign by sending an e-card or by requesting resource kits and posters and stickers online. You can also contact your senator about the Paycheck Fairness Act.
This post was written by Tammy Hong, 2008–09 AAUW Student Advisory Council.
