The Case for Equal Pay for Women (in the voice of John Stuart Mill)
Recently, the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, gave a presentation in support for equal pay for women in Texas. He did not say how he would achieve this goal, but it is a step in the right direction. In our society, people must have independence to pursue liberty, and this requires economic freedom. A person cannot truly be free if they are legally required to be dependent on others. In this case, unequal pay for women causes them to be dependent on their husbands and their employers. It is just a means to keep women down. The result is that society is not as productive as it could be, and, thus, reducing the overall happiness of our society. I offer several reasons for this conclusion. A dollar means more for a working mother than it does to a billionaire employers. The overall happiness of society is, thus, increased by making sure women are paid fairly.
First, equal pay is another step in the direction of equality for all. Society is better off when everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. A person who objects to this conclusion should be able to offer proof why one set of individuals should be treated unequally with others. Imagine the plight of mothers and grandmothers working for low wages while men get much higher wages for the same work. What does this accomplish?
Next, the practice of allowing employers to pay lower wages to women for the same work unjustly enriches the employer. No valid reasons exist for this practice. Employers would have been able to provide proof of such valid reasons long ago if they had existed. And, the overall happiness of society is not improved by this practice. Instead, happiness is taken from one group – women- and given to others – males and employers. Liberty has limits, and one of these limits is to prevent harm to others. Employers have every right to hire who they wish. However, they do not have the right to take advantage of the labor of women unfairly. They are able to do this because the law protects employers, and this practice should be stopped. The government should not be used to take on set of rights and properties from one group and give it to another. A government that does this will lose its right to govern, and the people will have every right to seek another form of government. A society must protect all of its citizens, and the practice of lower wages for women for no valid reason betrays this trust.
And third, we live in a society in which every member has rights, as well as responsibilities. Women have proven themselves capable in many fields that men used to dominate. Almost no field of business has been proven too hard for women. The former ideas that women are soft creatures who need protection, or that women cannot work as hard as men, are dead. Yes, there are some fields, such as professional sports, where women cannot compete. But those fields are rare.
The overall happiness of society will be increased if women are given a legal right for equal pay for equal work.