For many years, women did not have equal access and opportunity to education as men in this society, but times have changed. From the latest census data and from other sources as well, the government has announced that 23.6% to 25% of women have completed college and 27.8% of men have completed college.

In 1970, only 8.2% of all women had a college degree in contrast to 14.1% for men. This is a sharp rise for both men and women.

But although there is near parity in educational attainment, there is still a disparity in salaries. Women are still in comparatively low-paying jobs. Full-time female workers have a median income of $26,300, in contrast to $36,500 for men.

A further gender disparity of wages is this: with both having only a high school education, females have a median income of $21,563 and men have a median income of $30,868.

Although men and women graduate at relatively the same level now, the salaries seemingly have more to do with perceived assumptions of the role of the male in the household and the stereotyping of the female role in the household. There is an increasing number of females who are in the workforce today; many have decided to have families and careers, but this is not figured into the salary equation by many employers.

Females are educated, and in many instances they are more educated than their male counterparts--this is especially true with many young Black females and Black males. It is widely stated that among young Black males of college age, approximately half of them are in jails, prisons, or under the criminal justice system's jurisdiction, while the other half is in college. On the other hand, twice as many Black females are in college than Black males in college. If these trends continue, there will be more educated Black females than educated Black males in society. This is a problem that must be dealt with by the Black community. []

Gibbs