Feminist Inequality

                The feminist movement is all about securing equal rights for women. Well there are some who think that it’s actually causing more inequality among women. The feminist movement often focuses on women breaking the glass ceiling. That is, being hired in higher level executive positions. This focus marginalizes women who work in lower level everyday positions. Sheryl Sandberg, a female executive and chief operating officer at Facebook, thinks that the women should negotiate to get more or equal pay to their male counterparts. But most women who work within the five C’s (Caring, cashiering, catering, cleaning and clerical work) can’t really negotiate their minimum wage pay packets.  Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s chief executive, doesn’t view herself as a feminist. (She says she doesn’t have that militant drive). Mayer has received a lot of negative feedback over her decision to stop Yahoo employees from working at home. Yet, Mayer was able to build a nursery for her child right next to her office.  The Fawcett Society, a feminist campaign, says that they focus on all Women’s issues, not just those in the executive world.

                Overall this article discusses how a group that is meant to help the advancement of all women may be in fact neglecting a major population within its community.  I think that more efforts should be focused on women who work in the lower pay positions. Someone like Mayer can afford to build a nursery in their office, and has the means to do so. Most women struggle to find childcare. I do think the feminist movement as a whole is focused on all inequalities among women, but I can see how the “breaking the glass ceiling” approach gets more notice. Sandberg believes that women should learn to negotiate, but that’s not always feasible.  If one works a minimum wage job that only pays $8.00, most cannot negotiate more than a dollar more in pay.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/world/europe/10iht-letter10.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0