Woman’s Work is Never Done!
Smart Southern women are here, there, and everywhere, in the work force and in the Mommy Brigade. We only hope that since the majority of women work outside the home, they are by now paid a salary equal to their male counterparts, but we have reason to believe that they are not. According to census figures, women still earn less than men. The female to male earnings ratio is 0.76. In 2000, median earnings for women 25+ who worked full time, year round, with a bachelor’s degree, was $38,200. Men, same situation with a bachelor’s degree, earned $53,500. How can that be justified? What happened to equal pay for equal work?
These are scary discrepancies, ladies, considering the fact that about 25 percent of women who work are heads of households, as in single parents. Are they still being told, “Honey, of course John Doe makes more than you because he has a family to support.” Let’s hope not! If that is being said, exercise your options and do something about it. John Doe probably has a wife who also works, and I’ll bet she is primarily responsible for the kids, the housework, the laundry, the shopping, and the cooking. Old John has it made. He’s king of the hill at the office and at home he’s a dinosaur, according to our Ms. Wicked.
Even though men are now helping more with household chores, the major portion of it still falls on the shoulders of the little woman. If the wife stays at home, that’s a different story. Her contribution should be taking care of the home and children. In that case, ideally, she should make the nest and he should do the rest, within reason, that is. Both could combine talents to accomplish certain tasks.
In years past, Southern women as a rule were not as concerned with equality as our Northern sisters because it did not seem to be an important issue, perhaps because not as many Southern women worked outside the home. Back in the day of the feminist movement, I heard one belle say, “I don’t like this women’s lib business because I want men to open doors for me.” Gentlemen still do!
