If I Were a Boy
9:29 PM |
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If the above figures don't cause your eye to twitch with rage then get a load of this; the gender pay gap starts from the very beginning of a woman's working life. Girls under 17 receive 11.8% less than their male counterparts. So, because girls aren't generally hired to push trollies and instead have to stand behind a checkout, they cop less pay.
Percentages just don't do the absurdity of this situation any justice, so let's make these figures more relatable. Compared with a man, an Australian woman works 67 days per year for free. Yes, you read that correctly. If men working in Australia were to earn the same as their female colleagues, they would have to take an extra 67 days of holiday every year. As of October 27 there will be 67 days left in the year, which means Australia women will work for the rest of 2015... for absolutely nothing.
Still not enraged? Let's take it a little further. If a man earns an extra $283.20 per week, that works out to be an extra $14,726.40 per year. Currently the projected retirement age for the year 2050 is 67 years old. So, if the average Australian works from 18 to 67 years of age, then over the course of their working life women will receive $721,593.60 less than men. That is almost three-quarters of a million dollars, or enough to buy a house in a lovely suburb.
For me, now 25 years old, the annual figure really hit home. An extra $14,726.30 per year would make a huge difference to my lifestyle. So just to make myself more angry, I have produced a list of everything I could have paid for this year with the $14,726.30... or if I were male.
1. A six-week trip to the Greek Islands, staying in beautiful accommodation
2. A new car, the Suzuki Celerio, with almost $2000 spare
3. My rent for the entire year, with almost $3000 to spare
4. Every piece from the Balmain H&M collection I want, with enough change for a complete holiday to Thailand
5. Three new Chanel handbags
6. Eight pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes
7. Three quarters of my higher education loan (HELP DEBT)
You get the picture...in the wise words of Beyonce, 'if I were a boy.'
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