Should Women Seek Higher Education or Lawsuits for Higher Pay?

You hear it all the time even in the tight economy and amongst all the many avenues to take to earn money online, attending college nowadays is still important for one to get ahead. Or is it really? I believe this can go both ways. I attend college online for many reasons. Stuck in low-level paying jobs for the rest of my life is not going to cut it. More than forty years ago, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act (EPA), making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform the same amount of work. As of 2006, women still earned 77 cents for every dollar that men made. (National Women's Law Center) It is no wonder that there are many women who attend college, by any means necessary, destined to reach and shatter the glass ceiling to pieces. We desperately want to yell through our bullhorns that we should receive the same amount in salary as men do, especially at the executive level, and on the same education level.

While campaigning in April in rural areas of Kentucky, Senator John McCain R-AZ, was cited as saying, "I oppose a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits. (www.huffingtonpost.com) I am flabbergasted at this statement, because it deems the hardworking woman as a scapegoat for copping out and at the same time seeking publicity. While there are very few women who may have bad intentions in mind when it comes to seeking fair compensation, it does not represent the entire 72 percent of women who honestly work to support their families. Some women have to go through such drastic measures to seek higher education. Taking out loans, borrowing from family or just taking a leave of absence after one has started due to unforeseen constraints, can force a woman to postpone her education. Does this give the employer the right to pay her half than her male counterparts? No it does not, especially if the woman has the same amount of years of experience. Fields such as engineering, management, executive, or certain aspects of the health industry obviously will call for higher education. A woman who does not have one, than it is expected to not earn as much as any man or woman with a degree.

It goes without saying that regardless, if you want to get ahead in our society, most jobs require a college degree. I believe it is very important, regardless if you work in a male-dominated industry and accidentally find out that certain men are making more money in your current place of employment. Getting a degree for a woman does not have to mean many more lawsuits as Senator McCain has labeled. If that is the case, I guess his running mate is not worthy of the money she would earn if voted in as Vice President of the good old US of A.