One way a wage disparity creeps into the picture: You hire two programmers, a man and a woman who are equally skilled to do the same job and you start them at the same wage. For the first few years, they perform equally and get equal raises. Then, the woman drops out of the work force for three or four years to have a baby and raise the child. When she returns to work, she has fallen behind the technology curve and will be paid less than the guy who has added value to his work skills while she was at home nurturing a child. Most women — but not NOW — recognize this fact.
You’re exactly right—and I’m a woman who did just that. While I was taking the bar exam, I was pregnant with my first child, and I stayed home with both of my children.
Most honest women realize this. There are alot of women who seem to like to repeat the myth just for the sake of having something to whine about.
I “dropped out” to raise kids and will probably return to the workforce within the next 2 yrs. I will have to take some courses just to brush up and will be back to entry level positions.
Once I become established, I’m still not going to go after jobs that require too much because I will still have to be available to my kids after school and on weekends.
I am not ever going to fulfill this feminist dream of “making it in a man’s world” and that is aok with me.