Equal Pay for Women? Not So Fast!

Written by: Derek Winchester

Men earn more than women in the tech sector. Actually, men earn more than women in almost every sector, so some well-meaning people want to even the pay scales. Overall, women in the US make20 percent lessthan men, which, admittedly, adds up to a chunk of change. Women in tech actually fare better - making only 17.5 percent less than men. That means women technology professionals earn $100,895 on average, while men make $122,234. That's a pre-owned economy car each year.

These figures may seem like a sizeable difference, but wages are closer to equality than they were just a few years ago. The last decade has really closed the gap. Sadly, women are not happy with this improvement. But they are making progress, which I celebrate. But I cannot get on board with their demanding equal pay. Here's why:

Historical Precedent

The big names in tech history are male, which must mean that men are better at this stuff, right? I mean you have Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. And the press coverage couldn’t possibly be slanted since it’s a reporter’s job to be objective. 

Sure, history may overlook women like Ada Lovelace, who lived from 1815 to 1852 and is known as the first programmer - not just the first woman programmer. She even has a day named after her: We celebrate the second Tuesday in every October as Ada Lovelace Day. But few people know about it because no one shoots off fireworks or cooks out.

A few other women made significant contributions to the development of technology, including:

?         Grace Hopper - Naval officer and pioneer in translating programmer instructions into computer code.

?         Annie Easley - One of four African-Americans who were early hires of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and one developer of code leading to hybrid car batteries. 

?         Katherine Johnson - The NASA hero of (modest) movie fame who manually ran the flight equations to double-check essential computer calculations. 

The list goes on for women in tech, but few are well known. They certainly aren't pop-culture icons. If tech women could just be more universally famous, equal pay might follow.

Men Support Families

A big argument for higher men’s salaries is that they provide for their families. The kids have to eat, right? And after a long week of bringing in the bigger bucks, we cannot expect men to take on childcare and household tasks. 

Of course, times have changed a little. During the last two decades, women have earned more college degrees than men. Also, 49 percent of employed women report they are the main breadwinner in the family. Since women clearly love to work hard, they still take on more of the household and child-rearing duties than men while making less money per hour or in yearly salary. On top of that, women take care of sick family members more than their male counterparts, which leads them to miss more work. Voila! Another reason women should earn less than men. Women need to work on their attendance issues.

Men Are Better at STEM

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills (STEM) are the backbone of technological success. And frankly, women are not as good at math and science as men. The world has known this fact for centuries. Ever heard of Isabell Newton? I didn’t think so. When an apple fell, she baked it into a pie.

The cold hard truth is that women make up a mere 20 percent of workers in science, technology, engineering and math, which certainly means something. Experts try to explain this stat away by claiming society steers girls away from these subjects at a very early age. Gender stereotypes still lead parents to expect different careers for their daughters, such as teaching or nursing, two more feminine pursuits. 

According to these so-called experts, males dominate these STEM classes, and they are not always welcoming of their female peers. As a result, girls have fewer STEM role models. And popular culture usually overlooks the women who should be their role models. 

Finally, they claim that all of this bias leads to math anxiety for women who pass it along to their female children. As a result, girls have no confidence in their STEM abilities and conclude that boys are just smarter at this stuff. 

So you can believe the experts who analyze the STEM gap or you can embrace the age-old notion that men are born for tech while women are not.

Final Thoughts 

Equal pay for women in technology and in all industries may sound great, but the idea comes with several drawbacks. First, men will have to acknowledge that they are not inherently better at tech than women. Talk about upsetting the applecart! Equal pay may lead to equal respect and status determined by ability and not gender. Are we really ready for that?

The gap in STEM education could close, meaning little girls will no longer give up on math by third grade, which will leave them less time to do girl things. This type of change happens when schools stop teaching all girls to sew. 

Girls may grow up to be women who expect all things to be equal. They won’t want to handle a full-time job and a majority of the household responsibilities. Women may demand a 50/50 split that will confuse and exhaust men. Personally, I start to sweat heavily when I think about it. 

Men, equal pay is a dangerous concept for us. It will rock our worlds and throw traditional gender roles aside. We won’t be able to just talk about women’s equality - we will have to live it. And that transition will be hard unless we are open to it.

Did I get your attention? Now get more attention. Women Deserve Equality!