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My parents have never came from money, but they have always made sure to do all that they can to give my siblings and I a great life. Although both of my parents are lucky enough to have jobs, they have never made an outstanding amount of money. However, they have always provided for my family as much as possible. At one point, my parents were both working as dealers at a casino. My mom made significantly less than my dad, even though they both held the same exact positions as each other! "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American woman earns 81% of what an average American man earns" (Male vs. Female Professional Sports Salary Comparison). Women are paid significantly less than men who hold the same position simply because they are women. In a male dominated environment, women deserve to be paid equally and fairly, especially being that they are qualified for the position. I will be discussing the reasons why equalizing pay needs to be addressed and enforced for men and women who hold the same positions in the workforce.

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Argument #1 - Male vs. Female Professional Sports 

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Argument #1 - Male vs. Female Professional Sports 

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According to Adelphi University in New York, "Whether professional players receive salaries or individual prize money from competitions, male athletes in basketball, golf, soccer, baseball and tennis make anywhere from 15% to nearly 100% more than female athletes" (Male vs. Female Professional Sports Salary Comparison). It is no secret that in patriarchal society, men are considered the dominant group when it comes to any sport. Men are seen as athletic and aggressive, whereas women are seen as unathletic and sensitive. Because of the stereotypes society gives female athletes, their salaries are significantly impacted. According to medium.com, "The average salary of an NBA player is $7.7M. In the WNBA, it’s closer to $75,000, so the female athletes are making about 1% of the salaries of their male counterparts" (Strupp 2020). This is an absolutely insane pay gap between men and women playing the exact same sport! Women deserve equal pay in the professional sports industry
because they essentially hold the same "positions" as men who play the same sports, just at a different level.

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Argument #2 - Under qualified Men                       

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Argument #2 - Under qualified Men                       

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Women are automatically at a disadvantage in the workforce, starting with the hiring process. Harvard Business Review states a common statistic, "Men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them" (Mohr 2014). From the very start, under-qualified men are hired because they are confident in having some of the qualifications, but do not hold every qualification that a job "requires." Women, however, are more likely to apply for a job only if they are 100% confident that they are qualified for every aspect of the position. I can attest to this statement because I feel as though I cannot apply for a position if I cannot confidently say that I am qualified, in every aspect, for the job. In addition, Mohr also stats that "a McKinsey report found that men are often hired or promoted based on their potential, women for their experience and track record" (2014). This statement is quite frustrating, considering that men are brought up in the workplace for having the potential to do what is expected of them rather than actually having the qualifications for the position. Not only are under-qualified men being hired and promoted, but they are also making more money than women who hold the same position. Women are left out of the scenario entirely, so are we supposed to wait around until the day comes when we receive equal pay? The situation needs to be addressed and enforced immediately!

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Pay gaps not only effect women's
salaries, but also their mental health. CNBC.com states "when women make less money, they’re 2.4 times more likely to experience depression and four times more likely to have anxiety" (Stieg 2020). Women also take on the responsibilities of being caretakers, performing most, if not all of the household duties, and managing their day around busy schedules. Theconversation.com states that "Discrimination results in higher levels of stress and poorer health behavior such as alcohol and other substance use and abuse, as well as medication adherence" (The Gender Pay Gap is Harming Women's Health). Women are resorting to unhealthy habits that take a toll on their daily lives. This could all be avoided if women were not stressing about the money that they have to make to provide for their families. The gender specific roles that women are "responsible" for create an overwhelming sense of under appreciation, which is why pay gaps are especially tolling for women. We need to recognize that equalizing pay needs to be addressed and enforced for the sake of women's mental and emotional well-being.

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Overall, women deserve better.

The professional sports industry is centered around male athletes, which significantly lowers the salaries of female athletes.

Women perform in the same positions as men and are still underpaid even though they are more qualified than the men who apply.

Women's mental and emotional health is at risk because of the frustrating, unnecessary pay gap that exists between men and women in the workforce.

We have come very far in terms of women's rights, but not far enough. Society needs to recognize the sexism that has been conditioned within us and we need to start paying women fairly for their work. As Serena Williams has said, "I really hope that I can be helpful in that journey because I do believe that women deserve the same pay. We work just as hard as men do. I've been working, playing tennis, since I was three years old. And to be paid less just because of my sex - it doesn't seem fair."

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https://online.adelphi.edu/articles/male-female-sports-salary/

https://medium.com/nightingale/visualizing-the-gap-eccb912d75e2

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/31/how-the-gender-pay-gap-affects-womens-mental-health.html

https://theconversation.com/the-gender-pay-gap-is-harming-womens-health-68919

https://hbr.org/2014/08/why-women-dont-apply-for-jobs-unless-theyre-100-qualified