Women on Top?

Rachel Walla
 Girls, have you ever been in a relationship or any derivative thereof with someone who makes less than you? Are you dating someone who’s major’s starting salary is on average less than your own will be?
There has been a growing trend recently that shows that women are earning more than their significant others for the first time. Not only that, but during this recent recession more women are holding on to their employment than their male counterparts. Besides complicating the question of who will pick up the check for dinner, it brings to light women’s success and changes gender dynamics in relationships.
  I was raised in a family where my mom was the housewife and my dad was the sole financial provider. This creates a dynamic all its own when one person is financially responsible and holds the purse strings. I’m all for equality, but certain roles have been conditioned into us for centuries and now that they are in flux, what new traditions will emerge? Take for example the tradition of men paying on dates. Chivalry is something I’ve found to be alive and kicking, especially at Tech where women are the minority. Men open doors, buy drinks and pay for dinner, and, damn, it’s nice to be a girl here. For purely selfish reasons, I hope those traditions don’t die with so many others. But what about traditions like stay at home moms, mini vans and maternity leave? Are we to trade them in for dads with hybrids and paternity leave? Should I start picking up the checks and buying the Miller? Ugh, fine.
  The key thing is that young women are now generally making more than the men they date because women are more likely to have gained a higher education. Thirty-four percent of women today have some college education while only 30% of men do. Of those, 28% of women will graduate vs. 21% of men. So, consider your odds at a bar, if you are a woman, you are more likely to be more educated than the men you are conversing with. Therefore, you may want to consider picking up the tab. Maybe think again after you see how much more men generally drink.
  Sadly, women are not yet making as much as men in the same type of job with the same education. On average, a woman for example in Electrical Engineering will make $0.78 for every dollar a man with the same credentials makes. Obviously workplace equality could use a little work, however, equality in the home and the bar may be changing long-held traditions.