Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men--And What to Do About It

by Evelyn Murphy

A WORKING WOMAN EARNS 77 CENTS FOR EVERY MALE DOLLAR.

In the twenty-first century, the gender wage gap still affects the daily life of women throughout the country, at every economic level, from cashier to CEO. Is it fair? No. Can it be stopped? Absolutely.

In this intelligently argued and carefully researched book, Evelyn Murphy, Ph.D., examines how much women (and their families) lose over a lifetime to the wage gap, knocks down the myth that women "choose" to make less, and documents the widespread discrimination that's holding down women's pay.

But here's the good The wage gap can be closed. Having served as an economist, politician, public official, and corporate officer, Murphy has a 360-degree view of the problem -- and of the solution. Read this book -- and get even.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Leadership

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2005

Reviews

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I tend to get more into radical feminist texts and ignore the more liberal ones like this book and so I end up with a lot of theory and not enough nuts and bolts, facts and figures. Sure, some of this is about getting more women into the upper echelons of evil but it is also about making sure that the women who are cogs in the machine get the same pay as the man-cogs.

The subtitle has this "why" question and that is really the big deal here. Every year, around equal pay day, I hear a lot of stuff about maternity leave and child raising. But that isn't why women aren't getting paid. The real reason is just straight up discrimination. And a big part of that is just flat out disgusting horrible sexual harassment. Because as a friend of mine recently said about an experience she had in a "traditionally male" job, the B.S. isn't worth the money. There are a lot of case studies in here, in all kinds of occupations, and every five pages or so I was angry enough to want to castrate someone, so watch out! All the sexual terrorism on the job pushes women in to the "traditionally female" jobs (like librarian, my occupation) where they are paid less, and then everyone tells themselves that women chose to do that.

Also, all this missing money that women aren't getting... it's not some abstract thing, like, if women only get 77 cents it means that society only values them as 77% of a man... I mean... that's bad enough... but the actual money... that's not like pocket money for shopping or some sh*t, that's decent food for the kids, that's women's pensions, that's women's mental health... when everything goes south, it's the difference between comfort and poverty.

The "what to do about it" portion is thinner but it's interesting too, with concrete things to demand from employers and some motivational self-talk. The author's website and her repeated claims that we will close the wage gap in a decade ring a little hollow considering the book is over ten years old and the gender pay gap in the USA is EXACTLY THE SAME as it was when this book came out... (time out while do some relaxation exercises to get past my castration level anger).

Anyway, I'm really glad I read this. Murphy should come out with a new one if she hasn't despaired.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty empowering! It made me want to go out and learn how to negotiate, which apparently men are born knowing how to do. I had also recently accepted a job offer without negotiating for a higher salary, so I was kicking myself for that.

Two things would have made this book a whole lot more enjoyable: 1) If she had stopped kidding herself that men were reading the book, too. Especially in the beginning, she was pretty heavy on the "women (and the men who support them)" inclusive crap. 2) she talked about the WAGE project a lot, which is her own baby. At the end, during the "do something about it!" section, she made sure to include "go to wageproject.com!"

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focused on pointing out that women make 77 cents to every dollar made by a man. It systematically explored potential explanations for this and concluded that the lions share of the reason is probably discrimination. I believe that is the case as well. It is also largely the case that women seem to be more risk averse than men. Repeatedly throughout the book it gives suggestions for how to increase women’s salaries and then tries to give suggestions that “need not cost a woman her job.” Then, rather telling, later in the book it casually mentions a managers comment that the reason he is paying a particular man more is that he knows that the man will leave if he doesn’t pay him. Thus women are portrayed repeatedly in the book as afraid of loosing their jobs while men are willing to threaten leaving as a negotiating tool. Not surprisingly, men get paid more. I don’t for a second think this explains the wage gap. There is still much discrimination including sexual harassment. But it is an important thing to consider. Ideally the job world would work on strict meritocracy, instead negotiating power is a must, not just ability at your everyday job.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I good book on pay equity. What surprised me was that sexual harassment which leads to unequal pay can happen in any organization. I recommend this book to any working woman. There are some useful strategies to getting what you deserve.