Is it really progress for women in the workplace when we are celebrating larger restrooms in 2013? Women Senators think so, according to this report. While we are happy for their new, shorter wait for the bathroom, we wonder when we will be able to celebrate larger victories for working women.
In an article that reads like it came from The Onion, Jezebel reports the latest victory to come out of the Senate: a new women’s bathroom. At first glance, a bathroom renovation might seem like an insignificant event when compared with the larger work of the government. But it was only recently that a larger bathroom was even required, all thanks to the landmark number of women elected to the Senate last November.
According to reports, the original restroom had only two stalls. With the influx of female legislators, the bathroom was suddenly too small. While this is an exciting issue to have, it must also be recognized that we are living in 2013 and celebrating extra bathroom stalls for female Senators. What one might see as progress, another might recognize as a sign of subtle discrimination still facing women in the workplace.
If more progress is to be made, we need to continue the conversation about women in the workplace and address real examples of discrimination. We also need to dispel myths about the gender wage gap. To learn more, check out PayScale’s data in our latest report: Redefining the Gender Wage Gap.
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