Women’s Rights and Gender Justice

 

 

 

A non-profit helmed by women, ARTE is committed to intersectionally feminist praxis—acknowledgment of how identity-based disadvantages compound with race, ability, socioeconomic background, gender, sex, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, education, and more. Our Global Women Heroes mural (bottom of the page) exemplifies how leaders of the gender justice movement come from past and present, near and far, and our most recent workshop at Rikers interrogated issues of toxic masculinity.

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The Gender Pay Gap

 

The gender pay gap is the disparity between the amount of money women versus men earn in the workplace. And while there are concrete statistics that examine the pay gap, it is also a complex issue affected—and sometimes widened—by factors that go beyond numbers.

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This video, from two years ago, explains some of the complexities of the gender pay gap. Keep in mind that some of the statistics might be outdated, but the concepts are still relevant to labor across the globe. See below for 2022 statistics.

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According to Payscale’s 2022 State of the Gender Pay Gap Report, the uncontrolled gender wage gap is $0.82 per every $1 men make. This means that on average, across professions, women make $0.82 for every $1 a man makes. The COVID-19 pandemic has not widened this gap—in fact, high unemployment, especially among workers earning lower wages, artificially shrinks this gap. As such, it is possible that the gap may widen in the coming years.

 

The controlled gender wage gap is $0.99 to every $1 a man makes. A controlled gender wage gap takes into account professional background and experience. This means that between women and men who have similar job descriptions, industries, education, experiences, job level, and hours worked, the gap is still $0.01. That one cent difference is purely on the basis of gender discrimination.

 

One large factor that contributes to the gender pay gap is family responsibility. Women are still taking on more responsibility in the household compared to men in heterosexual, two-parent households. Mothers make on average $0.74 to every $1 men make. This is referred to as the “motherhood penalty.”

 

As we’ve said, women’s rights are an intersectional issue. As such, the gender pay gap also shifts depending on the race and class of the worker. According to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Black women make $0.67 for every $1 white men make. That means that in one month, Black women make $1,891 less than white men; in one year they make $22,692 less; and across a 40-year career they make $907,680 less. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey shows that Black women are also more likely than men to have lost employment income, not have enough food to eat, and be behind on rent.

According to this compilation from Compaas, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women earn $0.75 per $1 white men earn in the United states. Latina women earn $0.54 per $1 white men earn. Native American women earn $0.51 per $1 white men earn. Black and Native American mothers also face a 20% motherhood penalty, as compared to the average 15% across mothers of all backgrounds.

 

For global statistics, check out the World Health Organization on gender, equity, and human rights.

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Abortion Rights in the United States

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Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision which legalized abortion nationwide, was overturned by the Supreme Court June 24, 2022. States now decide abortion laws and accessibility. As of November 2022, abortion is illegal in 12 states and restricted in 16 states. 

According to Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.” Access to abortion secures human health, and the UN affirms that access to legal and safe abortion care is a human right.

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Abortion Rights Timeline (U.S.)

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Resources: "Abortion: Solidly Rooted in America's History," "Historical Abortion Law Timeline," and "U.S. Supreme Court Takes Away Federal Constitutional Right to Abortion" (Planned Parenthood), "The Racist History of Abortion and Midwifery Bans" (ACLU), "Abortion Accessibility Map" (Planned Parenthood).

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What We Can Do

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• Volunteer for a local girl’s club, mentoring circle, domestic violence or women’s shelter 

• Vote female candidates of color into office and volunteer for their campaigns

• Support Planned Parenthood and universal access to reproductive rights

 

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Art & Media

 

Get to know a small selection of artists and activists that fight for gender equality across the globe. Tag us in your own gender justice artwork on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter!

 

 

 

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Get inspired by ARTE's murals on gender justice:

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Watch:

• A global history of women’s rights by the UN

• The biology of gender, from DNA to the brain by Karissa Sanbonmatsu

  • ​How exactly does gender work? It's not just about our chromosomes, says biologist Karissa Sanbonmatsu. In a visionary talk, she shares new discoveries from epigenetics, the emerging study of how DNA activity can permanently change based on social factors like trauma or diet. Learn how life experiences shape the way genes are expressed -- and what that means for our understanding of gender.

• Period. End of Sentence. directed by Rayka Zehtabchi

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Read:

• “The Racist History of Abortion and Midwifery Bans” by Michele Goodwin

• “What Does Intersectional Feminism Actually Mean?” by International Women’s Development Agency 

• Violence Against the Trans Community in 2019 by Human Rights Council

• Period Privilege by ThoughtMatter

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Participate:

• Time’s Up

• The UN’s GirlUp​ Initiative

• Get involved with Trans Student Educational Resources

• ​Get involved with the Audre Lorde Project

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