Sandra Day O’Connor: Earning Gap

Sandra Day O’Connor Money Quote saying with more education, women make increasingly less than men for their work. Sandra Day O’Connor said:
 

 

“The more education a woman has, the wider the gap between men’s and women’s earnings for the same work” — Sandra Day O’Connor

This quote by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor seems to be pointing out that as women’s educational attainment increases, the gender pay gap for equal work paradoxically tends to widen rather than narrow.

A possible interpretation is that as women seek higher-paying professional careers that have traditionally been male-dominated, entrenched gender biases and lack of family-friendly policies can result in women facing greater challenges in advancing to higher levels and pay grades compared to men with similar qualifications.

Birthday: March 26, 1930 – Death: December 1, 2023

Donna Brazile: Covid & Women

Donna Brazile Money Quote saying women are suffering from Covid 19 in higher numbers due to working in more essential businesses adding to existing inequality. Donna Brazile said:
 

 

“At the same time that women in the U.S. are losing their jobs at higher numbers than men, women have lower earnings and fewer savings to fall back on during the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic” — Donna Brazile

In this quote, Donna Brazile is highlighting how the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected women. She notes that as jobs were lost during the downturn, it was women who lost employment “at higher numbers than men.” Additionally, Brazile points out that women on average have “lower earnings and fewer savings” compared to men.

Therefore, she is arguing that when the coronavirus caused economic turmoil, women were more vulnerable financially since they had less of a safety net like savings or higher wages to fall back on during hard times. In essence, Brazile is drawing attention to the gender inequalities that exacerbated the challenges women faced when dealing with the financial consequences of the pandemic recession according to this interpretation.

Toni Morrison: Earnings Squander

Toni Morrison Money Quote saying in the New Yorker of 2017 that money can be wasted and it can be used for real things where it is needed and can bring fulfillment to us. Toni Morrison said:
 

 

“Part of my pride in working for Her was earning money I could squander: on movies, candy, paddleballs, jacks, ice-cream cones. But a larger part of my pride was based on the fact that I gave half my wages to my mother, which meant that some of my earnings were used for real things — an insurance-policy payment or what was owed to the milkman or the iceman” — Toni Morrison

In this quote, Toni Morrison is reflecting on her childhood experience of working to earn money and the pride she took in both enjoying small pleasures with some of her wages, but also contributing financially to her family through giving half of her earnings to her mother.

The best interpretation is that Morrison felt a dual sense of pride – she was proud to have independence and agency over some of her money to buy little treats, but she took even greater pride in being able to help support her family practically through the portion of her wages that went towards necessities like insurance, bills for milk and ice delivery.

Morrison viewed both aspects – enjoying modest personal rewards of her work as well as meaningfully assisting her mother through her earnings – as contributing to her self-worth and positive identity at that stage of her life. The quote conveys Morrison’s appreciation for both the small joys and real responsibilities that came with her early working experience.

Birthday: February 18, 1931 – Death: August 5, 2019