Gender Pay Gap In The United States

The gender wage gap persists. Women make up half of the U.S labor force and are a growing number of breadwinners in their families. More women are also working in positions and fields that have been traditionally occupied by men. Women not being paid fairly not only affect them, but also their families. “Despite passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which requires that men and women in the same work place be given equal pay for equal work, the gender gap in pay still remains.” (whitehouse.gov). Women already feel inferior to men due to the many job opportunities that men have. They shouldn’t also have to suffer through pay. Working hard as much as a man does just to be handed less, is an insult to all women in society. “A woman earns 79 cents

The president can sign bills into law. This occurred during president Obama’s presidency. The first was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which allowed people a period of time to come forwards if they have faced gender discrimination in order to seek redress where they otherwise could not. In 2010, the President pledged to crack down on violations of equal pay laws and, that same year, established the National Equal Pay Task Force. “The Task Force, which consists of professionals at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor and the Office of Personnel Management, has improved enforcement of equal pay laws and promoted efficiency and efficacy by enhancing federal interagency” (whitehouse.gov). Furthermore, in 2014, President Obama signed an executive order to prevent workplace discrimination and empower workers to take control over negotiations regarding their pay. This allowed women to file an unfair pay complaint within one hundred eighty days of a discriminatory paycheck. These laws enabled progress toward achieving equal pay, it didn’t necessarily stop unequal pay, but it did make people more interested in joining the fight. Passing a law does not necessarily guarantee fast change or even any change at all. It does on the other hand allow people to be aware of the wrong doings and help those that are

Even though many changes have been made in an effort to stop this problem, it is not fully over yet. Women are still being discriminated against in the workplace even when they do an equal job. Women should not have to endure some discrimination just because of their genders. It is unfair for employees to decide that women are worth less than men. This problem has caused many women to come forward and fight, but that alone cannot solve the problem. With the help of the House, Senate, Presidents, and the media this issue can eventually stop. Men and women are equal so therefore it is time for their paychecks to be