Women and equality

From someone else's  blog:

(edited)..."What about men's reproductive rights?"      Women's rights are clearly existant, but the opposite is only an idea. In my personal opinion, they don't exist in anything other than theory. When a woman is pregnant, she calls the shots. She can get an abortion, or she can toy and string the man and "ruin" (I'm sure you know what I mean by the quotation marks) his, or both of their lives if the situation of having a baby at that certain point of time happens. The most she can do if the baby is born is make him accept financial responsibility, and that's all. She can't make him marry her or actually be in the child's life.. which would make her the sole caretaker of the child. It would be a different case, however if she could force the man to marry her and share an utter and brutal 50% to the child's upbringing. (Augh, I used to watch too many talk shows with episodes based on paternity results.)    Women should have complete control and say with what they want to happen with their bodies. If a man wants the child, then tough shit. It would be cruel, suppresive and rather immoral for him, or anyone for that matter to make her carry and birth the child just so he can have a baby.    If you're reading this and still thinking "Why should men have to take a dive?", then take a look at all the other unfair and supressive things women have to deal with in the past, third world countries (think; Africa and female genital mutilation), and some of the things we have to go through today. (For example, tell me why women get paid less for doing the EXACT same job as a man? Or let's take a look at sexual double standards..) They are still being treated unequally and hopefully in time it will balance out.    I don't even want to get started on how conservative religious beliefs shouldn't affect women's rights or laws what so ever. Thinking about it is awfully irrtating.    That's my two cents. 

I was agreeing with this argument until the final part, which took a left turn. Certainly people have the right to control their own bodies, period. Incidentally, married men in some states have to consult their wives before getting a vasectomy, and I oppose this. It might be polite to ask, but I don't think this shouldn't be legally enforcable.

however she continues:

then take a look at all the other unfair and supressive things women have to deal with in the past, third world countries

injustice overseas does not make injustice here at home 'ok'. Men are more likely to die in war. Men are more likely to be raped in prison. Injustice abounds. ( Some feminists might point out that the problems in both situations are caused by men, but as individuals we all have an equal right to individual justice regardless of our gender.) Our job as moral people is to minimize injustice everywhere, not rationalize it.

Tell me why women get paid less for doing the EXACT same job as a man?

Often times the studies that claim this are poorly done and don't compare apples to apples. They don't really compare "the EXACT same job" as men for several reasons.

1. Women are much more likely to take time off from their careers to raise children. This slows them from rising through the corporate ranks like some men do. It also forces them to take more flexible jobs which pay less. (somthing which these studies generally fail to account for.) In other words, some of the difference is caused by women's choices and not discrimination by male bosses.

2. Some women stay home and take care of household chores so that men can work 60+ hours a week at their jobs and share the income. The situation is only occasionally reversed. When some men can work +20 hours because someone is taking care of household duties, this skews results. Are these studies careful to comapare men working  60 hours a week to women working 60 hours a week? Otherwise, it's apples to oranges.

3. Finally, these studies often don't account for differing levels of experience. Since men, on average, have been in the workforce longer than women this is critical. Upper level management jobs may require +30 years of experience.

Not all differences are caused by discrimination. The field of primatology is almost entirely dominated by women. Should we assume that this is because men are discriminated against in this field? Should we see this as a problem and try and recruit more male primatologists? Or is primatology such a garbage job that only women want to do it, while men are off doing more important scientific work? Personally, I don't see any of these conclusions as valid.

Sometimes women are mistreated, certainly. Though companies that let that interfere with their business are at a disadvantage, and will eventually lose out. But the notion that women are horribly underpaid simply isn't supported by these poorly conducted studies.

Of course, if you don't believe all this, feel free to start a company and employ only women. If women really do the same amount of work for less, you'll undercut your competition and dominate the market. Isn't capitalism wonderful?