A recent international study shows that women in the United States and other highly industrialized countries continue to earn far less than men.
In the United States, women on average earn almost 20 percent less than men. Internationally, women earn an average of 32 percent less than men.
The study found that women’s lower pay is likely related to their responsibilities at home. Women are often forced into low-wage jobs because they spend at least twice as much time as men caring for family.
The uncompensated labor that forms the foundation of society—caring for the family—is performed primarily by women. While the Soviet Union offered paid maternity leave and free daycare, the United States offers neither. It is the only industrialized country that does not guarantee paid parental leave.
Violence and poverty among women are symptoms of this systemic oppression. So long as society is run to create wealth for a few, women must struggle against patriarchy and super exploitation.
