When it comes to gender equality in the workplace, America has come a long way over the decades. Women work far more often now than they did before, with many households having two employed parents. They have opportunities that they never had in the past and discrimination has declined.
That said, we still do have a ways to go. It’s clear that discrimination still happens and that it’s often harder for women than for men.
For instance, Pew Social Trends reported that 19% of Republicans in one study acknowledged that “men have easier lives than women.” The same was true for 49% of the Democrats in the same study. No matter which party you belong to, it’s obvious that not everyone thinks that things are equal for both genders, even in recent years.
What does this mean in the workplace? Discrimination takes a lot of forms. A woman who is well-qualified could get passed over for a job in favor of a man who has the same or lesser qualifications. Even if she has a job with the company, she could get passed over for a promotion that she knows she should get. Even if she gets the promotion, she may find that she makes less money than a man would make for doing the exact same job. You can see how even some level of professional success can still lead to discrimination in other areas, making life harder for women.
Of course, discrimination is illegal. If this happens to you, make sure that you are well aware of the legal rights you have in California.
