A Girls Wage

There has been an ongoing disagreement between 2 people in my husbands family for about 50 years, today I found out part of the reason. One lady said to the other "your husband earns a girls wage".

Put into context of 1950's rural Australia it is an understandable insult but to hang onto it for 50 years! It made me chuckle:

"Fancy that!" I commented to Hubby "Something so insignificant lasting all these years."
"I would be really offended if someone said I earned a girl's wage"
"'cuse me!!!!!!!!!!"

I believe I burst into a lecture about managers like him double-glazing the glass ceiling that women are fighting to break. Which may have tarred him with a unfair brush - as he is usually fairly cool about such things! But I was on a roll and he knows it's best just to let me lecture it out than prolong the agony.

But I wonder if you have ever been introduced to Mary Macarthur. I read about her recently and I was so proud of what she fought for and in awe of her great inner strength and tenacity. She led the Women Chainmakers of Cradley Health in a battle to establish the right to a fair wage. This victory laid the foundation stone for our national minimum wage.

But as far as hubby is concerned I suspect it will be 'His round' for the foreseeable future, as I couldn't possibly afford to pay - merely earning a girls wage!!