An army of women in black who are tired of feeling secondary to others because of their sex. This is what was seen at the 2018 Golden Globes Award Show. Most people, women and men, wore black to the Golden Globes to protest, and raise awareness for the Time’s Up campaign. This movement stands up for women in the workplace and aims to end workplace sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pay inequality.

Many actors and actresses used their platform to speak out about these issues and why they support them. Debra Messing and many others used their voices to talk about the pay gap, which many people think is not real. What people hear the most is “For every dollar that a man makes, a woman makes 78 cents” but that only accounts for white women, it doesn’t account for age or race differences.
Hispanic or Latina women get 54% and African American women make 63% of what the average man in their same position makes, while Asian American women make 90% of what the average man in their same position makes. These gaps are based on stereotypes within their races and gender, so Hispanic, Latina, and African American women are less likely to be given opportunities than white or Asian women.

The main reason people think the pay gap is a hoax is because they say it does not account for women taking maternity leave, while men stay working and receive pay raises in that time. While that is true, there is a double standard with working parents. A woman is seen as less desirable by employers asthe amount of children she has increases, while a man is seen as more desirable as the amount of children he has increases, and they get paid that way too. Part of this is because mothers take maternity leave and take sick days for their children, but it is more so that employers see mothers as less dedicated, less efficient and less competent. Working mothers earn 7-14% less than a woman without children in her same position. A woman should not be penalized for having children because our society expects us to. If a woman works and doesn’t take maternity leave, they are often seen as bad mothers, and if they never have children, they are perceived to be missing out on their womanhood. Women should not be expected to take off work and care for their child, if the father isn’t expected to, either.

Another reason people don’t believe the pay gap is credible is because they believe women are more likely to take jobs that don’t pay as well. The myth in this is shown when you look at higher paying jobs. Female accountants make only 66% of what their male counterparts do, doctors make 71% of what their male counterparts do, and lawyers make 82% of what their male counterparts do. So, obviously it’s not just because women are more likely to take lower paying jobs.

Women are not treated the same as men. That is not okay. Women should not have to make 22% less on average than their male counterpart just because of their sex. It can’t just be women who speak out on these issues. Men have to realize there is a problem and fight for equality just as much as women.