Woman Between Islam and Western Society
3. Western Woman
~ 130 ~
and 51.5 percent of all bus drivers, they are also 99
percent of all secretaries, 89.2 percent of all textile
sewing machine operators, 84.8 percent of all health
aides and 80.8 percent of all waitresses.
Among government employees, though women are
a minority at the highest grade levels, their
representation there has been increasing sharply.
For instance, in 1982, 22.4 percent of the employees
in Grades 11-12 and only 9.7 percent in Grades 13-
15, were women. By 1988, 31.9 percent of Grades 11-
12 employees and 15.9 percent of Grades 13-15
employees were women. Still, the bulk of women in
government employment are concentrated at the six
lowest grades. In 1982, and still in 1988, fully 75
percent of the employees in the lowest six levels
were women.
Though the pay gap between men and women has
closed somewhat, and more so in some occupations
than in others, discrimination in earnings and
benefits remains pervasive. In 1980 women earned,
on average, 64 cent for every dollar earned by men
in the United States; by 1990 it was 72 cents. In
certain areas, such as technical, sales, administrative
