For doctors, nurses and others working in the medical field, the reality is that gender discrimination still exists. It does not matter that outright discrimination is illegal and that gender is a protected class. It appears that it still happens, and it can hold women back.
A recent study investigated two different ways that this impacts female medical workers. First, they were simply asked if they had experienced this type of discrimination. The majority responded that they had.
Second, it asked them if they thought they got paid less than men who were equally qualified. Again, most of them said that they were. In fact, a full 74% felt that way.
One expert said that this discrimination was even more obvious and more problematic because of the record numbers of women who are now entering what was once a male-dominated profession. He noted that they have notched many important achievements and have had a “profound impact” on the medical community as a whole. It’s clear that some barriers have been relaxed, allowing them to take these steps, but they are still not getting paid as much as they should be.
It’s not just money. The most common type of gender-based discrimination in the entire study, at a full 75%, was offensive comments and inappropriate verbal communication. This suggests a lack of respect on a very basic level, which is then backed up by the lack of equal pay.
Have you been discriminated against on the job? No matter what form that discrimination took, you absolutely need to know about all of the legal options you have.
