The far left Democratic presidential candidates are courting the feminist vote by pushing lies dear to every feminist heart – sex inequality. “This toxic culture, this pernicious patriarchy in this country, has to stop,” says Cory Booker. “Since 1963 when we passed the Equal Pay Act, we have been talking about the fact women are not paid equally for equal work. Fast-forward to the year of our Lord 2019, and women are paid 80 cents on the dollar,” says Kamala Harris. “The game is rigged when women earn less than men for doing the same work. It’s rigged,” says Elizabeth Warren. “The systemic devaluation of women in our society” is undeniable, says Kristen Gillibrand.
So is it true? Do men have it better than women?
Researchers from the University of Missouri and the University of Essex in the UK came up the Basic Index of Gender Inequality to measure educational opportunities, healthy life expectancy and overall life satisfaction by analyzing data from 134 nations representing 6.8 billion people, to answer this very question.
Researchers found a relative disadvantage for women in at least 43 countries, mostly African or Muslim or both. In some countries women are treated no different than property. Their opportunities for education are limited and their satisfaction with life lower than that of men.
But, for those women in richer countries like America, researchers found that the situation was actually reversed. The index showed that in 91 countries men were worse off than women. In rich countries, women have better educational opportunities, they live longer and healthier lives, and they have higher overall life satisfaction. In many nations—including the United States—all three of these factors favor women.
So how is it even possible that the system is “rigged” against women? According to researchers, the way these issues are typically studied pose problems and distort reality.
“Apart from political agendas, research on gender inequality has almost exclusively focused on issues highlighted in the women’s rights movement,” while “issues disadvantaging men over women” are understudied and not heavily weighted, if at all, in widely used measurers of gender inequality such as the highly cited Global Gender Tap Index. Furthermore, the Index itself is more favorable for women than men so if you only look at half the picture you can’t help but find disadvantages for women.
There are issues that disproportionately affect boys and men. Among the many examples are harsher punishments for the same crimes and an overrepresentation (93% worldwide) in the prison population; compulsory military service, etc. The large majority of homeless people without shelter are men, and men suffer higher levels of drug and alcohol abuse; higher suicide rates; more occupational deaths; underperformance in schools; and men are more often victims of physical assault in general and particularly in schools thus limiting educational opportunities. Men are also overrepresented in occupations that are risky and physically taxing such as front-line military duty, firefighting, mining, construction, etc.
By these measures, there are plenty of areas in modern life where men are worse off. But people with agendas cherry-pick areas where women don’t perform as well and use it as proof those women are systemically mistreated and discriminated against.
The reality is, there are many factors that contribute to differences and inequalities that are inherent in human existence. Equality as it is being redefined and sought after is impossible. For an idea of how misguided the quest for equality is, look no further than the U.S. women’s soccer team. Earlier this year, its players complained of inequality in their sport. They win more games than the U.S. men’s team does, so they decided they should get paid the same or more than the men.
But here are some very pertinent and irrefutable facts: The Women’s World Cup generated $131 million in revenue this year. The Men’s World Cup generated $6 billion, a figure that is over 45 times more than the women’s team. Spectators for men’s soccer far outnumber those of women’s soccer but the same is true for basketball, football, baseball, golf, rugby, track, swimming, etc. Women are paid in accordance with how much money their contributions bring in – just like everybody else in the economy. That is how a free economy works. It has nothing to do with sexism.
The broader pay gap between men and women has similar causes. Men tend to focus more on making money while women tend to prioritize other things such as family, flexibility and fulfillment. Women are less likely to uproot the family and move for a job. They tend to choose lower-paying fields and tend to work fewer hours. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, based on a full time job of 2,080 hours a year, men average 2,213 verses women averaging 1,796.
The pay gap is a myth that explodes when met with facts and the facts are irrefutable and clear. But those who focus instead on the supposed sexism in America want to highlight grievances, manufacture problems, and stir people into discontentment, even if they have to ignore reality to do it.
As with every left-wing social justice crusade, no matter how much progress is made there is always “more” that needs to be done, even if that “more” is based on lies.
Source: Is the World ‘Rigged’ Against Women? By Joel Hilliker, The Trumpet
