According to the Vox explainer video, some women take issue with the idea of the “motherhood penalty” and view it as a term that has a negative connotation. What is the motherhood penalty? Do you think the term “motherhood penalty” is a useful term to explain the gender wage gap? Why or why not?

reading link:
https://www.vox.com/2017/9/8/16268362/gender-wage-gap-explained

video links :

In preparation for this discussion, read and watch the following:

Read The Truth About the Gender Pay Gap by Sarah Kliff, Vox, Sept 8, 2017
Read pg. 238-244 in Chapter 7 of the textbook.
Watch the following video:
The first video is a summary of Sarah Kliff’s article

Questions: Initial post

According to the Vox explainer video, some women take issue with the idea of the “motherhood penalty” and view it as a term that has a negative connotation. What is the motherhood penalty? Do you think the term “motherhood penalty” is a useful term to explain the gender wage gap? Why or why not?
In the Sarah Kliff article/video, she looks at the gender wage gap in three career sectors: business, tech, and science. Which of these sectors experienced the biggest gender wage gap? Why?
One of the main ways of closing the gender wage gap is to provide paid maternity leave. Iceland offered extensive paid leave for mothers, but it had some negative consequences. Describe one of the negative consequences.
Why did Iceland implement “Use It or Lose It” paid paternity leave (leave that only fathers can use)? What are the benefits of this policy? Downsides? Do you think “Use It or Lose It” policy is heavy handed, improperly expanding the power of government into the private lives and decisions of families? Explain. (Note: Use it or Lose it Paid Paternity leave gives three months of paid leave to fathers, but only fathers can use it. For example, mothers get three months paid leave and fathers get three month leave. But if fathers do not take the leave, they lose it. It can’t be transferred to the mother.)
Is the gender wage gap a cause for concern? Should the United States implement policies to close the gender wage gap? If so, which one (or two) of the policies addressed in the readings, videos, or textbook do you think would be most effective in closing the gap? Explain.

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