In the article “The Motherhood Penalty vs. the Fatherhood Bonus,” Claire Cain Miller discusses differences in compensation between mothers and fathers. Employers perceive mothers as less trustworthy employees because of their family responsibilities. Men are seen as more responsible when they have children or families. It is unfair that one gender gets rewarded for having children while the other is disadvantaged for the same thing.
The article is quite informative and highlights inequality in society. One sentence that stood out to me from the article is that “Mothers were offered on average $11,000 less than childless women and $13,000 less than fathers” (Miller, 2014, p. 2). I found this quote thought-provoking because it highlights the magnitude of the motherhood penalty. The statistic is shocking but necessary because it quantifies just how much, in monetary terms, women are punished for having families.
One idea I relate to is how hard mothers have to work to prove themselves. Women with children must balance being good employees and good mothers. I know that much of the childcaring responsibilities fall on their shoulders. Traditional gender roles set women as the default caregivers and men as breadwinners, despite the fact that women are now employed outside the home. Sadly, mothers work harder yet earn less than fathers and childless women. The article also led me to question whether employers would be reluctant to hire women of childbearing age to avoid providing them with maternity leave and other essential accommodations. I am horrified that we live in a society that makes no provision for women to start families, even though most women have children. Thus, it is no surprise that we are witnessing a decline in the birth rate.
Reference
Miller, C. C. (2014). The motherhood penalty vs. the fatherhood bonus. The New York Times. Web.