Source of photo: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vyFjPHwF6To/maxresdefault.jpg
This post is probably not going to endear my female readers to me, but unfortunately, the truth is often far less popular than a comfortable lie.
The gender pay gap is a myth. Period. Point blank. End of the story.
At least the cause of the gap is a myth…
One of my favorite truisms is the saying “that people lie, but statistics do not”. However, people often use (or misuse) statistics to spread lies.
The gender pay gap is a prime example of using statistics to spread falsehoods.
Take the following graphic:
(Source of graphic: http://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_3958_gender_pay_gap_by_ethnicity_n.jpg)
A casual, uninformed glance at the above suggests that women are not only paid less than men, but that if you are a white, Native American, black, or Latina woman that you are paid even less than women overall.
Providing statistics without explanation or context is the primary means through which politicians, people with an agenda, and the media spread false narratives. These narratives are not meant to inform or promote logical thinking, but rather to engender an emotional response.
I mean, how “fair” is it for a woman to earn 80 cents for every dollar a man earns?
An educated and informed public is dangerous to the establishment. To quote a line from the movie Men In Black, “a person is smart, but people are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it”!
Those in power want very much to keep the masses in a state of panic, emotional turmoil, and anxiety. All anyone gets from an uninformed reading of the aforementioned statistics is that “women are being paid less than men and that obviously isn’t fair; Something should be done to correct this injustice to women”!
However, no one ever said life was fair.
I posit that things are much more fair for women in the Western world than it is anywhere else. As I mentioned at the beginning, the gender pay gap, while real, is being taken completely out of context.
Let’s provide some context to these statistics…
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018, 66% of the American workforce is male, while 54.6% is female (the numbers do not add up to 100% because of reporting differences)
(Source for statistic: https://work.chron.com/male-vs-female-statistics-workplace-america-23880.html)
That there are more men than women in the workforce is a significant contributing factor to the gender pay gap. More men working means more men are making money than women.
Another significant factor is the type of work men and women are engaged in. I won’t delve into statistics here, because common sense should suffice…
What kinds of jobs are typically dominated by men and how well do those jobs pay?
It’s safe to say that the vast majority of our military is male. The vast majority of our law enforcement professionals are male. Executives, oil rig workers, demolition experts, construction workers, commercial fishermen, miners, and a plethora of other high-pressure and/or dangerous occupations are either mostly male or all-male. These occupations also come with higher salaries than the jobs that are typically dominated by women, such as:
-Teachers
-Cosmetologists
-Food service workers
-Childcare providers
-Dental hygienists
-Executive assistants (euphemism for “secretary”)
-Medical assistants
Are we honestly suggesting that a dental hygienist make as much as a dentist or that a secretary should make as much as an engineer?
There are people who honestly believe that male teachers are making more than female teachers strictly because of gender. I’d ask for proof of this, but common sense dictates that if it were true, there would not be a need to cite statistics about it, the situation would be corrected and anyone facilitating such an egregious practice would be subject to legal action.
I can assure you that in our military, if a man and a woman are at the same grade with the same time in service doing the exact same job (meaning not drawing special pay for being a paratrooper, a drill sergeant, or on recruiting duty, for example) are getting the exact same paycheck.
Even the statistic that shows Asian woman are making more than women in other ethnic groups is easily explained. There are more Asian women who are business owners and occupying STEM jobs (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) than women in other ethnic groups. Additionally, Asian women are likely a smaller sample population than other ethnic groups.
There are far more stay-at-home mothers than there are stay-at-home fathers. Parenting children not only doesn’t pay a salary, but it also skews the statistics in favor of men making more on average.
The cause of the gender pay gap isn’t some nefarious plot to oppress women. The gap is created by the professional choices women in general make as opposed to the professional choices men in general make and this isn’t a problem that can be solved at the societal level. Assuming one should even view the professional choices people make as a problem.
The choice to have children has a significant impact on the number of hours a woman works as opposed to men. This obviously affects the salaries women make as much or more than career choice.
To further elucidate my point, let’s examine the sports world…
In the sports world, which sports league generates more ratings (meaning more revenue), the NBA or the WNBA?
How many women are playing in the NFL?
Even the Women’s World Cup doesn’t draw even a third of the audience, television or in-person stadium attendance, that tune in or pay to watch in-person their male counterparts.
Would it be fair (or possible) to pay women who play in the Lingerie Bowl the same salary that the NFL pays men to play in the Super Bowl?
What kind of ratings (ratings=money) does the WNBA Finals generate compared to the NBA Finals?
See the point now?
What a person is given in compensation for their labor is always in direct proportion to the skills one has to offer and the value one brings to the enterprise they are working for. This is irrespective of gender.
In closing, the next time you hear about the unfair nature of the gender pay gap, try thinking instead of emoting and then perhaps you will recognize the agenda being foisted upon you.
-The Rational Ram
The Rational Ram 
