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Women and Men: Fair and Equal?

A Patricia started working at Larisa medical supplies four years ago, a year after graduating from college with a degree in business. About a year ago, she was promoted to the head accountant of her department. As her responsibilities grew, her working hours increased—she was often in the office until 7:00 or 8:00 at night, especially at the end of the fiscal year. Like other young adults in Spain, Patricia still lived with her parents, but had started looking for an apartment to buy. Like many other young adults in Spain, Patricia worked long hours, but earned only about $1,000 a month. The low salary was the product of a bad economy, an over-trained workforce, and the high competition for jobs, or so she thought. Realizing that she would need to start saving for her new house, and recognizing her increased worth in the company, Patricia decided to approach her employer about a raise. She and her boss, Jordi, had a very good working relationship, and she knew that he respected her work. So one morning, with all of her arguments clear in her head, Patricia knocked on the door.

B "Jordi," she said, "I've come to talk to you about my role in this company."

C "Of course, Patricia," he said. "Come in. What's on your mind?"

D Patricia outlined her reasons for wanting a raise. She talked about her increased hours and responsibility, her effectiveness as an employee and team player, and her good relationship with her colleagues. Jordi agreed with her on every point. But when she finally said "I think I should be compensated for my work in the form of a higher salary," her boss's response shocked her.

E "Patricia, you are an excellent employee, but if I'd wanted to pay that much, I would have hired a man."

F While Jordi's response is technically illegal in Spain, Patricia's situation is not uncommon. According to many women, sex discrimination is considered "normal" there. It is common practice for employers to ask a woman about her romantic life, her plans for a family or children in a job interview so that they can decide whether or not they will be faced with a future maternity leave. Many employers choose men for the reason that they don't want to have to deal with women's messy "problems." Employers, recognizing that men often have the upper hand, often offer women lower salaries in an attempt to save money. Women accept them, either because they don't realize what's happening, or because they don't feel they have a choice. They feel that in a country with such a high rate of unemployment, they are lucky to have a job. According to statistics, in Catalonia, considered one of Spain's most "progressive" provinces, the unemployment rate for women has been the highest in Europe: 22.5%, compared with 10.7% for men (1999). The employment rate for women is over 20% lower than that of men, and even larger discrepancies exist in rural areas. Finally, 79.34% of part-time contracts go to women, and accusations of unlawful dismissal and failure to promote are increasing as attitudes change and the problems come to light. National statistics show that women earn an average of 28% less than men in the same positions.

G But Spain isn't the only country that suffers from such inequalities between women and men. Most countries that claim to have equal rights for women suffer from such inequalities. According to the United States Department of Labor, women's earnings in the U.S. have averaged almost 25% less than that of men's for the last fifty years—very similar to the Spanish statistics. While the gap seemed to be closing between 1973 and 1996, it started widening again in 1997 as men's earnings once again increased. Of course discrimination is not the only reason for such differences between men and women's salaries. Other factors such as education level, choice of occupation, seniority (the number of years spent in the work place), and race come into play. The Department of Labor admits that sexism is still a factor, but that it is very hard to measure. The fact that discrimination cases continue to be settled for millions of dollars shows that the problem persists.

H What are the laws protecting women in the United States, and why is it easier for a woman to take her employer to court in say, New York, than for Patricia to do the same in Barcelona? One big answer is cultural. In some societies it is still acceptable for women to be treated differently in the workplace, and change is slow. In Spain, women had very few rights under the Franco regime, so change has come more slowly to that country. The other answer is judicial. The United States has many legal checks and balances in place to try to prevent sex discrimination in the work place. For instance, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), protects men and women who perform "equal" work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination. However, these types of laws exist in many countries, including Spain. They provide legal recourse for women who feel they are being discriminated against. Laws like these are a first step toward fighting gender discrimination, but until attitudes change along with them, women will remain second-class citizens.

Getting the Main Idea

Write T on the lines before the statements that are true, according to the reading. Write F before the statements that are false. Write I before the statements that are impossible to know from the reading.


1		Patricia was the victim of gender discrimination.


2		Women in the United States do not suffer from discrimination in the workplace.


3		Spain has more gender discrimination than Italy.


4		Spain and the United States both have laws that protect women's rights.


5		Women in the United States have more part-time contracts than men.


6		The earnings gap between men and women in the U.S. has steadily narrowed since 1973.

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