COLUMN: A white woman's issue
If there is one thing all feminists can agree upon is that men and women ought to receive equal pay for equal work. Really, the only people that can be seen to advocate against this simple concept is fedora-wearing, Cheetos-stained men’s rights activist; or, maybe, your Republican uncle, who thinks women getting paid is placing the pay gap over other life-affecting issues for women.
I had the honor of having lunch with Lily Ledbetter, who gained notoriety when she sued Goodyear Tire Company for being paid less than her male coworkers she managed. The experience is something that I will cherish forever. However, there is more to feminism than equal pay.
Equal pay ought to be considered a white woman’s issue. While it is known that white women make only 77 cents to the white male’s dollar, the statistics are much worse for both minority men and women. According to an article published online by The Root, black women only make 64 cents to the dollar of white males.
I am not denying that the wage gap is a women’s issue, but if we are to fight for our sisters, we need to fight for causes that affect all women.
Issues such as abortion restrictions, sexual violence, human trafficking, and women’s health affect the most poor and vulnerable women in the U.S. While the pay gap is an important subject and one that needs to be addressed, if most feminists were to make a list of demands regarding gender equality, the wage gap ought to come after the aforementioned women’s issues.
Capitalist will say that equal pay will end women’s oppression – though many capitalists don’t support equal pay. That thought process is one that supports the ideals of capitalism. Perhaps, it’s not equal pay that will enshrine women’s liberation, but an entire power shift is needed instead.
