The gender pay gap still exists, especially in the Houston area.

HOUSTON. Women earn less than men, and the pay gap for women of color is even wider. This is evidenced by studies conducted at the University of Houston.

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The pay gap still exists, especially in Houston.

Ashley Bailey is called a “juggler”. She has three children, a husband, a dog and a permanent job.

“It’s chaos, especially when they’re all so young,” she said.

She found balance in life.

“I love being able to do both (work and be a real parent). I am grateful that I can do both,” she said.

She works remotely and understands that this is a compromise when it comes to her checks.

“I know deep down, just in general… I get paid less than some of my colleagues who may or may not have the same experience as me,” she said.

The pay gap, by definition, is the average difference in income between women and men. UH Professor Elizabeth Gregory is director of the School’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality. She said that childcare is one of the main causes of wage inequality.

“Nationwide, the dynamic is that women are earning about 80 cents on a man’s dollar,” Gregory said. “Of course, men are considered to take care of their families, but what they don’t usually understand is that they have to leave in an emergency or pick up a child around 4 o’clock.”

Gregory’s research found a larger gap in Harris County due to male predominance in high-paying jobs in the oil and gas industry. It also featured a “double break” involving women of color. White women earn 70 cents for every white male dollar, according to her research, while black women earn 45 cents and Hispanics about 38 cents.

“Because both gender and racial ethnicity are used to direct people to different types of jobs, and you see different types of investment in education so that people have access to different jobs,” Gregory said.

Bailey knows about the breakup all too well. She said that she once quit her job knowing that her male colleague was making more money. She said she sees open dialogue as the first step towards closing the gap.

“You can also be transparent and have truthful and honest conversations with people regardless of the topic, and the more you do it, the easier it is,” Bailey said.

Bailey said she hopes that one day, in a few years, she won’t have to talk about the gender pay gap with her daughter.

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