Without sacrificing the responsibilities and rewards of being mothers and wives, the number of women at universities and in the workforce has steadily increased since the 1970s when the number of enrolled women surpassed men. Since then women have been more active in extracurricular activities, and had an overall better academic performance. Despite this officials there remains a gender pay gap in the workforce.
In 1992, the U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau found that women's median annual earnings were 70.6 percent of that of men. In 2000 there was a decrease in the gender pay gap but women were still earning only 76 percent of what men earned.
Paula Cantor, an assistant professor of consumer science and women's studies, suggests that two possibilities account for the gender pay gap. One may be that women still have more household responsibilities than their husbands, but also employers may have outdated perceptions of women's household responsibilities.
\There may still be some inequality in household roles. Do women have to compromise more because they need the flexibility to leave work earlier?"" Cantor said. ""Women stay in the labor force like men do, but there's still the stereotype that they have more demands in the household, it's statistical discrimination.""
In 1978, the number of women enrolled in degree-granting two and four-year post-secondary institutions surpassed the number of men for the first time since World War II. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 4,766,000 men enrolled, compared to 4,925,000 women. In 1999 the NCES reported that 5,560,000 men enrolled versus 7,122,000 women.
""It's a mystery,"" UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley said. ""Historically, it's been true that in good economic times [universities are] dominated by women because men go straight into jobs like the stock market, but that doesn't apply today.""
Women's dominance at universities nationwide is not just in numbers. According to the NCES, the median women's grade point average is also nationally higher than men's. Among 1992-'93 bachelor's degree recipients, 61 percent of women graduated with GPAs of 3.0 or higher compared to 49 percent of men.
Wiley speculated that among other things, the gender pay gap has to do with choice of profession.
""[In the UW system] the average faculty salary for men is higher, but if you break it down to positions, it's equal,"" Wiley said. ""Women dominate in all the helping professions, like social work, nursing, etc., and those are lower paid professions.""
Wiley said that women's accomplishments at universities may be a matter of work ethic.
""My speculation is that it is study habits,"" Wiley said. ""Most of what goes into getting good grades is making it a priority and doing the work.""
According to Ann Groves Lloyd, director of career services for the UW-Madison School of Letters and Sciences and the School of Ecology, women are not only more involved in their academics, but women's involvement in extracurricular activities and leadership positions is significantly more than men's.
""Women's involvement in extracurriculars compared to men's is often two to one. We have to work to get men more involved,"" Lloyd said.
Although women's accomplishments at post-secondary institutions are not yet being reflected in the work force, their accomplishments predict a strengthening female presence which, according to Chancellor Wiley, makes the future for career women look very positive.
""Women have taken the initiative,"" Wiley said. ""And I think that bodes well for the future of leadership positions.\
