The most disheartening part of this:

Today, Equal Pay Day, marks the wage gap: the fact that full-time women workers earn 77 percent of what full-time male workers do. One major reason is job segregation by sex. Jobs themselves are gendered, such that women have a tendency to enter feminized occupations and men have a tendency to enter masculinized occupations. How severe is job segregation by sex? In 2010, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research reported that about about 4 in 10 women work in jobs that are 75 percent female; the reverse is true for men.

(Via Separate And Unequal : Ms Magazine Blog.)

at least to me, is the mere fact that we even have an “equal pay day.” It should not be necessary. At all.

I’m amazed on an almost daily basis that in this, the 21st century, we still have such things as this going on. I am amazed and disheartened that there are still such prejudices and inequalities.

I feel the same way when I hear racist comments. Pretty much anytime I hear some tea partier open their mouth. I just don’t get it. I never really have, but the older I get, the less I understand it.

I’ve written about religious-based discrimination against gays and lesbians before. I’ve written about the things people say about disabled people. And even about the outright racist things even our politicians — mostly tea party folks, but not exclusively — say.

It’s the 21st century for cryin’ out loud!

But back to the main topic at hand. Equal pay. Why is this so hard to do? Since it’s mostly men in charge still (sad but true, really) I challenge all my fellow men — but the ones with actual power and influence, unlike me — to do something about it. If you’re a manager, go through your organization. See if women are paid less. If they are, FIX IT. Take an honest look at the kinds of jobs you provide for men vs. women. Does your organization hire women as “Administrative Assistants” and men for other jobs? Then find a way to pay your administrative assistance more.

Believe me, the admins run the place. Don’t believe me? Try this little experiment. Piss off the admin. I mean seriously piss off the admin. Then see how much gets done. Even if you’re the CEO, don’t imagine for a minute that you can do it without your admin(s). If you’re nodding your head, and your admin is a woman, then give her a massive pay increase. Commensurate with the power and influence and level of control she actually has.

There is simply no rational reason that there is a pay-gap between men and women. For the same work, for the same education, there should be no pay gap at all. From a Mom’s Rising email:

“Women will never make as much money as men…God made Adam first, and so women would always be second to men.” “If you would wear lower cut shirts…., you would probably get more pay.” [1]

Men say these things at work? Really? Dunno, but my reaction would be to a) record the comment and then b) punch the offending neanderthal squarely in the throat. There is no excuse for such things. NONE. EVER.