The gender wage gap and inequalities in the work place between sexes is a growing problem in America and needs to be dealt with. Men are being paid more and treated significantly better than women just because of their gender, an issue that has been overlooked for too long. Many women, including myself, can testify that they have been mistreated by employers and customers in the field solely based on the fact that they are women, not even taking their work ethic into account. The research I have done regarding this topic has opened my eyes and made it clear that this problem is a lot larger than I originally thought and has only made me feel more passionate about the topic. I personally feel that any type of sexism should not be tolerated, especially by professionals at work. This issue needs to be brought to the attention of more so that they too can be aware of the injustices women are facing when they are only trying to make a living and support themselves. Women and men are equal and it is about time that they be treated as such. 

In an online article published by Forbes.com titled "Workplace Inequalities Force Women to Plan for Retirement Differently" written by Jamie Hopkins the differences men and women face while at work are highlighted. Hopkins writes that women are paid 78 cents to every dollar a man makes and also sheds light on the fact that women often times aren't in the field as long which eventually makes their preparation for retirement longer and harder. Employers for women are also less willing to supply them with access to an employer sponsored retirement plans, causing women to find other ways to prepare themselves mentally and financially for retirement, while men are not facing these difficulties. I personally feel that men being paid more and treated better than women because of their gender is not acceptable. Men have always been seen as the alpha individual when both genders have the same value, people at work should be judged on their performance not their sex. Hopkins gives numerous financial tips for women at the end of his piece in case things don't improve. This piece is even more important because he is a male speaking out on the topic. He is the Associate Director of the American College's New York Life Center for Retirement Income and is also an Associate Professor of Taxation at the American College. Hopkins has an abundance of knowledge in the field of economics and retirement preparation and is aiming to help women be prepared in as many ways as possible until the conditions improve. 

According to the economics article posted on the online section of Science Directs' journal by Andrew McGee, an economics professor at Simon Frasier University, women are less likely than men to opt into competitive environments. This means that women are aware that they are not being treated as equally as their male counterparts in the work place and because of this lack of competiveness the gender wage gap is continuing to expand. Many career fields often times pay their employees based off of commission and if women are not willing to enter into a competitive field then they will not be paid as well as men. Women are more wary towards entering the competitive field because often times they have been mistreated by employers and customers, these negative effects are beginning to affect women not only financially but mentally. More women are now beginning to obtain jobs that pay hourly and do not depend on the opinion of the customer because they know they will not be paid as well as the male members of their work force. 

Not only is the gender wage gap affecting women very harshly financially but it has also lead to negative psychological impacts. In an online article discussing gender inequalities in America and other countries, Sofia Elwer, a Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine doctor, focuses primarily on how women's mental health is being compromised. Elwer shows that the more discrimination a woman faces in the workplace the more likely she is to face emotional and mental breakdowns. Men are given the positions where they are seen as the superior worker while women are given mostly the subordinate positions.  These gender unequal situations cause women to be at quite a disadvantage against man, giving men many more opportunities for benefiting mental health that women do not have. The work force is currently extremely gender segregated, women are not being hired for certain jobs solely because of their sex and if they do get a job they are not being paid as well as other workers. Women's mental health is in question every time they face discrimination because of their gender. 

All of the information that I have obtained through my research is all conclusive and agreeing. The three main online sources that I used all agree that the gender wage gap needs to be closed and women should be treated much better than they currently are. I was also able to learn much more about the topic than I already knew, such as statistically women aren't as willing to enter jobs that require them to be paid on commission. Through my research and new knowledge, I am able to better understand and ask the question: Should companies be required to pay both genders equally?
