PARK: Have workplace glass ceilings really been broken?
Column:
As kids and even students, our first jobs will likely be hourly minimum-wage jobs. When working my summer job, I got paid equal to, if not more, than some of my male co-workers since I had been working at the establishment for longer than they had.
Then, we transition into internships, some of which may be unpaid or an equal wage across the board for all interns at that company in a specific department.
I spent much of my life playing different sports, all predominantly separated by gender. I practiced alongside guys in the pool and the weight room, but when it came down to racing, all my female peers and I knew we could not and would not ever compare to the caliber the men raced at.
In athletics, there exists a physical difference that can hinder many women from reaching the same standard their male counterparts do, but this is not reflected the same way in workplaces.
We go to college to learn and gain knowledge that will prepare us for entering the workforce. Classes are not separated by gender, so women and men both learn the same material and are expected to perform with their best effort.
In college, I have surrounded myself with peers who embody go-getters and hardworking personalities. My friends and I use the term "girlboss" both in irony and for lack of a better term.
We have grown up being told to dream big, break the workforce "glass ceiling," and go beyond the limitations of the generations before us. But even when we do make it to the top, is that barrier really broken?
Approximately 8 percent of S&P 500's CEOs are women.
Despite this steadily growing number, women still remain highly underrepresented in company leadership. Newspapers and magazines love to report that 41 women run S&P 500 companies, labeling it as a "record number" and consequently implying that young women are capable of reaching those same heights.
But to allow that to happen, effort must come from both women workers and these companies.
The lack of women in high-power roles has become so common that many young women are discouraged from reaching for those roles in the first place. Companies preach diversity, equity and inclusion practices, yet there is only so much that diversity initiatives can do.
The Harvard Business Review reported that there had been negative returns on diversity programs partly due to managers resisting strong-arming, consequently hurting women and minority representation.
While men are often judged as leaders or individuals, women are often judged solely based on their role as a woman leader. From societal gender barriers to sexual harassment in the workplace, the opportunities women have do not always stack up to be perfect.
According to the Pew Research Center, the pay gap has only narrowed by 2 percent since 2002. That is a rate of 1 percent per decade. And this pay gap between men and women only grows even more as women get older, especially affecting women of color.
It robs women of more than $400,000 over a 40-year career on average, not to mention the money lost when women leave their jobs so they can raise families or for other reasons.
In recent years, women have been very vocal about equal pay, fighting discriminatory practices and finally addressing the lack of representation for women everywhere. Despite this discussion, not much has been delivered.
The amount of growth women have experienced in the workforce is reflected by a 2 percent closure in the pay gap over the past 20 years.
The glass ceiling is not shattered despite the growing number of female CEOs. In fact, it has only begun to crack.
Annabel Park is a sophomore at Rutgers Business School majoring in marketing and minoring in health administration. Her column, "The Queue," runs on alternate Tuesdays.
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