The battle of the sexes is still being fought. Yes, sadly, income inequality is a reality in 2018. Let’s explore this topic a bit shall we?
The “Battle of the Sexes” event, happened in 1973, and 45 years later, women are still fighting for equality in pay.
I just got finished watching the Battle of the Sexes movie. It is about the world-famous tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. This event was huge and watched by 90 million viewers around the world. Bobby Riggs was a bit of a media hound and although in the movie, he was portrayed to be creating this circus for publicity, his followers, and many promoters actually believed that his comments and slander against women to be true. They believed that men are better than women. Yes, it was a time when they thought a woman was best in the kitchen and the bedroom. Nevermind a serious conversation addressing income inequality for women in the workplace. This is where Billie Jean King took the bull by the horns.
This is a feel-good movie of sorts where you see the heroine’s journey from underdog to ruling the world (to some degree). If only this was the real catalyst for not only change but the main event in slaying income inequality in the workplace.
This tennis event was a big upset, where Billie Jean King won the match in three sets. It was great to see and this probably felt like a giant leap forward for women’s rights and feminism and well, to be honest, it was. So where are we today, 45 years later? Sadly, women are still fighting for equality and equal pay. It is my understanding that a big part of Billie Jean’s career was committed to fighting for equal pay for women. In 2016 it was said that women made 80% of what men were paid in the workplace.
The AAUW states that… “At the rate of change between 1960 and 2016, women are expected to reach pay equity with men in 2059.” Equality by 2059? Hey ladies, what are you bitching about, only another 41 years to go. Yes, that was in bad taste, and I apologize. This is not funny at all. It is actually a disgrace and I wonder why should it take 80+ years to see women as equals.
Here are a few interesting charts I found on the AAUW website.
Let’s talk progress and the fall of it. Today we have a president who shares “locker-room” talk on camera about grabbing women by the pussy and having no repercussions because he is wealthy. Beyond this, as the feminists start to march and protest this and many other topics related to equality, women are still hearing abuse and disgusting terms thrown at them because they are standing up and demanding equality.
The #MeToo movement has been working towards addressing the sexual harassment issues for over a decade and over the past year or two it has blown up on social media. Not only is the pay not equal, there is still sexual harassment happening in the workplace.
So what are we to do? How can we, not only address this, but commit to solving this issue?
These are the big questions, right? Like the president, I am sure I have catcalled ladies on the street and grabbed a butt or two in my youth (not in any career-related jobs but more in my dating years). Although I probably have said stupid things to women I worked with or went to school with early in my life (teen to early-twenties), as an older adult, for my work career, and as a business owner, things were much different. Maturity, it is a beautiful thing, right? Anyhow, I have worked with, respected, and actually hired a lot of women over the last 20 years I’ve been in business. For those, I was inappropriate to early on… I apologize for my ignorance and disrespect. There is no excuse. Sorry. Yes, I am flawed.
Over the last 20 years though, I have employed many great and talented women as freelancers and consultants. I can honestly say the pay was equal for both sexes. I paid my people pretty well, anywhere from $20/hour up to $100/hour depending on skill level, type of work they did, and the year they were hired. Often, I was happy to pay these prices because I was getting talented workers that helped me get outstanding results for my clients. None of them were harassed I am proud to say. Interestingly over this 20 year period, I have become a bit of a “feminist” fighting for women’s rights and pushing for income equality and better wages. I recommend that you join the fight as well. I share my own story to prove I have also screwed up, but also inspire you to do better if you too, have screwed up.
This whole topic makes me wonder… why is there still a struggle for income equality?
I personally didn’t charge different – because I knew the going rate for the “people” I hired and never thought twice about the sex of the person. So why is it that 80% less is the average pay for women today? God knows I cannot be that progressive or I never thought of myself as innovative in this area of business, but maybe I am. I am not looking for kudos or accolades here, but rather pondering how this is still possible in 2018? And why is it going to take another 40 years to fix? This isn’t about me, but I share my story because I am still trying to wrap my head around why the estimated time to reach true income equality in the workplace is some 40 years from now. It really blows my mind. So we know this is wrong, but what are we doing to fix it? Who is this generation’s, Billie Jean King? I hope there is one and in the comments someone shares some of the people fighting for this great cause and how they are doing it.
What are your thoughts? I, sincerely, want to know why you think it still is happening? I also want to hear your ideas on suggestions for fixing the problem in our culture.
I want to thank you for reading this today. I have asked a few women to write their side of this story, but I have not had anyone take me up on this tough topic, yet. If you would like us to cover more topics like this or get a women’s perspective, let us know. I hope you didn’t mind getting ideas from a male perspective.
Inspirational thoughts to move forward…
- For all the women out there… I wish you much success and hope that you can stay strong as we work towards a society that treats you as an equal to your male counterparts.
- To the men as co-workers, I know it can be tough spending 8 hours a day with women that are funny, smart, attractive, but I beg you to think twice before you make that sexual comment or touch inappropriately. Save it for after-hours on a date, but with respect, not in a harassing way.
- As a male CEO, owner, or leader hiring women, step up and become an innovator by offering equal pay and a non-threatening environment to work. I’ve said it a hundred times – people are everything and your culture can make or break your company. Create a company where women thrive and are appreciated and you will see profits rise and customer lifetime values increase because of your culture. Do it for ethical reasons first, but also know that you will see a return on your investment in the women you hire and treat well.
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Dale, I appreciate discussion of the gender pay gap issue. What disappoints me here is your seemingly flippant tone about the topic.
First, let’s start with your “joke”: “Hey ladies, what are you bitching about, only another 41 years to go.”
If you need to apologize for being offensive, you should re-write or delete it. There’s nothing joke-worthy about the fact that women are still fighting for equality.
Secondly, this bit: “I paid my people pretty well…because I knew the going rate for the ‘people’ I hired and never thought twice about the sex of the person.”
Are you referring to freelancers? The gender pay gap exists for us too—it’s not only in corporate America. Not to mention the assumptions that women who freelance must be bored at-home moms and, therefore, don’t need to be paid much (among other preconceived notions).
And finally, this:
“For those, I was inappropriate to early on…I apologize for my ignorance and disrespect. There is no excuse. Sorry. Yes, I am flawed.”
Do you realize that the statement “I am flawed” (or some variation thereof, like “I have faults”) has been included in the ‘apologies’ of many high-profile men accused of sexual assault? Search for Tom Ashbrook and Robert Scoble, for example. Not a good look to apply those words to yourself.
If you want to be a force of change on this issue, I’d encourage you to discuss it with women who’ve experienced gender inequality firsthand. What you learn could be quite eye-opening.
Jennifer thank you for your thoughts.
Let me start by addressing your ideas on me being a “flawed person” and my self-proclaimed use of the term “I am flawed”.
I certainly am a flawed human and as you pointed out, in more ways than I may have thought. I lead with this and will continue to lead with it for one reason… I am no better than you or any other person in this world including any woman. You see I take responsibility for my actions and I lead with “I am flawed” to show that I make mistake and own them.
Those that never admit they are flawed and then make mistakes become hypocrites. Worse yet… if they try to lie to cover things up we the situations we see where mistakes are part of the culture and ignored. Well, until they can no longer be ignored and someone stands up against the problem as we have seen in the #MeToo movement. So I never want to hide my mistakes. As a business owner and founder of the Business Success Movement, I believe transparency is important in order to build trust and a healthy culture. If you disagree, that is fine. If others put me in a group of bad people that have done much worse than me, so be it. That is my cross to bear. I can only do my best to be the best person I can be and do the best I can do to help my fellow humans be the best they can be.
This article was about honesty and tackling a tough topic. Most business owners want to push this under the rug and not deal with it head-on and be a force for change. Although I apparently do not come off as serious or sincere or a force for change in your eyes, I feel that I have been fighting to shine a light on this topic for a while now and will continue to do so. I do not think it is right that you and I could get employed at the same office and I could make 20% more than you just because I am male. Just as racism is disgusting, so too is sexism. You see in my eyes people are people and I try to treat every person as a person of value.
The thought of true equality taking another minute, let alone another 40 years is appalling. This was an alarming fact when I read this and that is why I shared it in this article. My purpose in life is calling bullshit on the wrongs of the world. This certainly is one of them. At times I in a flawed way may joke about things. Again, I am sorry this offended you. To me, this “joke” was meant to be more of a rallying cry for outrage against this travesty and this article a calling for those wanting to stand up and fight together, against this data and actually change it.
In the section where I share my own history of hiring women in both a freelance and consulting capacity my point was my lack of understanding of not paying equally. It just makes no sense to me. I paid both sexes the going rate for their skill set and/or experience not because of their sex. Yes, I assume that across the board income inequality is alive and well. I do not personally practice that or condone it and never have for nearly 20 years.
Assuming my thoughts on freelancers is a bad idea. Assuming, on any idea is bad in my mind. I prefer to confirm my assumptions before I attack someone’s character, ideas, or work. I personally have hired both stay at home moms looking for extra cash and professional women that made a choice to build a business that supports their family and sometimes employees. Again, depending on the need I hired the right person. I never said or tried to imply freelancers are anything but a valuable resource that should be paid well.
Since you brought the topic up though, let’s explore it a bit. A freelancer is self-employed. If there is a pay discrepancy between sexes (which I have never seen, even when I worked for agencies), I have to ask why? As a business owner (a freelancer is a self-employed business owner) why would they allow themselves to accept lower wages? This is a sales problem. Any solopreneur that is underpaid is underpaid because to EXCEPTED the job. This could be because they don’t know their value in the marketplace, they think like an employee and not a business owner, or they are not confident enough to ask (no demand) for better pay. A professional salesperson knows their value in the marketplace and demands they get paid for it. So although I fight for equality, I also think that you must ask for what you want or you will never get it. I train professional salespeople and there are many self-limiting beliefs that could be holding people (or women) back. To me, this isn’t sexism as much as a lack of sales acumen. I can and do train women to get paid equally or more than a man in their field.
You end with a great point… Talk to women before taking up the fight for women. I hear you and agree with you. I agree, but I am not a man that lives in a man only world. Most of my world is surrounded by women and most of the people I love most dearly are women. I do actually talk to them and work with them and protest with them. There are many women that would refute your assessment of me. Here is the deal I loved that you challenged me. I am open to being challenged even publically. Not everyone will agree with me or even love me. I am okay with that, all I ask for is respect. With that, I try to give respect. In a world filled with hate and negativity, I am a man trying to deliver love and positivity in my personal life and in my business life. This means supporting ALL people, not just men.
As this article will not be a defining moment in the liberation of women and the main thing that changes income inequality, I CAN hope it is one small milestone on that journey. I am passionate about addressing difficult topics and starting tough conversations and see this practice as the only way we can learn… by talking about things, and writing about things, and debating about things. So your comment and thoughts although painting me in a very negative light are something I appreciate. I appreciate you and your thoughts and your boldness and your willingness to post these thoughts and join me in this conversation. Keep engaging and sharing your thoughts this is the only way we can make real change in the world. I look forward to future dialogue.
As I wrap this up, let me say one thing… this site is an online business publication, the Business Success Movement is… well, a movement. The goal is to challenge people to become innovative leaders so that we can change the world together. Ther are more female writers writing for this publication than male writers. I want to hear the female take on this topic and others. I open the floor for more articles like that and have asked for women to write on these tough topics. To-date I’ve been turned down. I WILL NOT… not address tough topics because I am not a woman or I am not anything else. If I see a wrong myself or my team will address it. Did you know that 11.6 million business owners in the US alone are women? Did you also know 96% of businesses fail? Our goal for the movement is to address the failure rate. So beyond the online publication side of the business is a movement focused on helping those 11MM woman business owners, not fail. Granted I do not see sex when it comes to this stuff so the movement is on business owners and treats them all as equals. That being said not every action, article, or conversation our movement has will be 100% correct, but my hope is that our good far outweighs our bad.
Thanks again for your thoughts and joining me on the fight for equality for all.