Everyone believes that the gender-based pay gap exists … right? Actually, somehow … no. According to a new poll released by SurveyMonkey, a horrifying 46 percent of men believe that the pay gap is “made up to serve a political purpose.” This poll, as first reported by TIME, included 8,566 American adults this past March. Almost one-quarter of men between the ages of 18 and 34 who responded to this survey believe that pay gap reports are “fake news.”
Oh. And nearly half of men don’t believe the pay gap is a “legitimate issue.”
Let’s dig a little deeper into the results. In addition to whether or not respondents believed the pay gap exists (reminder: it does), respondents were asked what they believed caused the gap. Men were more likely to assert that it’s because women work fewer hours than men (...) and “generally [are] in careers that don’t pay as much.” Women, on the other hand, were more likely to suggest sexism and unconscious bias as root causes.
Isn’t it interesting how men believe that, if a pay gap does exist, it’s because of a woman’s poor decision-making skills, and not a structural problem? Suggesting that women pursue jobs that don’t pay as well, or because they work fewer hours (childrearing, anyone?) puts the onus on women. Of course, men who are reluctant to believe the pay gap is “legitimate” are decidedly obtuse to systemic barriers women face in the workforce.
The survey also touched on the pay gap issue among people who do literally the same jobs. Seventy-one percent of women believed it’s “very unfair” that women are paid less than men for similar work, whereas only 48 percent of men feel that way. Fifty-eight percent of men believe that barriers which may have made it more difficult for women to obtain equal opportunities are “largely gone.” Sixty-two percent of women accurately acknowledge it’s harder for women to get ahead.
Make no mistake: The pay gap is even worse for women of color. According to 2017 data from the American Association of University Women, Hispanic and Latina women earn 47 percent less than white men. Black and African American women earn 39 percent less. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders earn 32 percent less, and American Indian and Alaska Natives earn 42 percent less.
Yes, that’s almost half.
For trans women, the pay gap is also an issue. For example, post-transition, some trans women report that their wages dropped by nearly one-third. And this doesn’t even address the number of trans and non-binary people who lose their jobs because of their gender identity, or aren’t hired to start.
On top of everything else, women and nonbinary people need to expend more energy convincing cisgender men the pay gap exists? Sigh.