Shortly after my employer at the time imploded and closed up shop, I got to talking to one of my former coworkers. He and I had done the very same job. We were peers and had similar qualifications. Somehow, though, he was getting paid about 40% more than I was! Losing my job smarted, of course, but finding out how I was getting screwed really added insult to injury.
I think about that experience whenever debate comes up about how women should be the paid the same as men for doing the same work. The truth is that almost no one gets paid the same as anyone else. Your boss will pay you whatever amount she thinks you’ll accept, you’ll work for whatever amount you’ll accept, and rarely will anyone else be the wiser.
In today’s workforce, with nearly all gender barriers gone, women and men are now equals. That means women workers can now be as grossly undervalued or overpaid as their male counterparts.