Actually, from what I have read, if you take into consideration the observation that women tend to put in less overtime, then the work-per-hour comes out about equal for men and women. And given that working overtime is often what gets you ahead of your contemporaries and in line for the next promotion, it also explains some of the discrepancy about women in higher positions.

That being said, my head is still bruised from all the glass ceilings I hit it on whilst I was in the military - which was a good reason for getting out when my 4 years was up. Which I did.

Insofar as the 'need for muscle', I agree with CircuitGuy: muscle is overrated. Handy to have, but rarely essential. I suspect, for example, that there are women who could pitch a grenade 15 yards without a problem; and some men who could not. The criteria for 'who throws a grenade' should be 'who can throw it >15 yards' not 'are your reproductive organs internal or external'.

Women have made huge inroads on a social structure that has limited us for thousands of years; it should not be forgotten that it was MEN who voted in favor of women's suffrage - we do not say 'thank you' often enough for that. It will take a while for women roofers to be common, and it may never be that 50% of the roofers will be women. In the meantime, women doctors and lawyers and scientists are everyday phenomena. This was not true in the world that many of us grew up in.

Jan, counsels patience

Pay is equal. Their premise is an arbitrary placement of relative value of an employee's job description. For example, the secretaries time is worth 1.5 x that of a roofer in a roofing business. When pay is calculated with the multiplier a discrepancy occurs. If the female was a roofer her pay would be the same as the male. Problem is that the female generally cannot satisfy the physical requirements for the roofing job. Most feminists are not willing to accept this fact. Ask the military about women in combat and the physical requirements. So, if both male an female are a secretary and the male is paid more then they have a valid point. My suspicion is that this rarely occurs.
My business pay is gender neutral. It is based on productivity and what the employee brings to the business. Hard work is rewarded. Piss and moan and you will have the opportunity to find utopia elsewhere.

Although a politically incorrect point I will raise- women are worth less than men a lot of times:
1) They can have babies and will miss work and may take time off and you have to take them back after their parental leave.
2) They have children and need to attend to them, often during work hours.
3) Work at home doesnt fly with women who have kids running around distracting them
4) They tend to need more medical care and are off work more for doctors appointments
Again- politically correct, but at the end of the year, they cost more than most men do (at least the women who will have babies)

Every time the gender equality issue comes up, it reminds me of my experiences during the President Carter years. One instance in particular stands out: a feminazi was bleating to a congressional committee about how the physical requirements for the military were sexist, and that it was unreasonable to require a female soldier to have to throw a grenade over 15 yards, when she felt that 10 yards was much more reasonable. All the Army General had to say in response was, "Given that the lethal radius of a grenade blast is 15 yards . . ."

Frustrated and Angry?
Listen up Ledbetter. I figured out how much I paid in Social Security after taxes. I then figured how much that amount would have yielded had I been able to put it into one of my worst investments. The way I see it, the Government owes me a very large, very tidy sum. Not to mention what they owe my wife.
Thank you very much, FDR.
More women are graduating from college than men. Recent studies show that the income gap, is in reality closed once pregnancy times are factored in. More women are CEOs than ever before. We may be turning into a Matriarchal society. Don't get me wrong, I love being taken care of by women. I have a feeling, however, that most women are not so hot on the idea. I'm just sayin'.

I agree with your statement blarman. People should be able to work for whatever wage they agree to be paid as well.

the force of federal-government-choices re-direct the
use of profits for their priorities, from the EPA to the
IRS. . why is the economy in the doldrums? . that's why! -- j
.

Not all employees in the same "category" receive the same compensation. Would it be OK if all lowered to least common compensation?

And that's the way it's always been,

I read a column the other day that suggested that women often get paid the same or more otherwise, if paying women less was all that pervasive then only women would be employed.