Why Do Women Earn Equal Pay Essay

If two people, a man and a woman, go to the same college, get the same degree, and have the exact same job, shouldn’t they have equal pay? There is a considerable pay gap between those two people and it’s only because one person is a woman and the other a man. The Gender Pay Gap should be demolished because women earn at least 77 percent of how much their male counterparts earn, women earn less when they balance children and career, and the pay gap has not narrowed in the past decade. Fifty One years ago, the Equal Pay Act was passed and we still don’t have equal pay for equal work. Until the 1960s newspapers would publish separate job listings for men and women with the highest earnings mostly listed under men. Sometimes the ads had the same jobs, but with separate pay scales. Between 1950 and 1960 women with full time jobs

That’s a yearly gap of more than $11,000 and a lifetime pay gap of $34,000. (Little) For women of color, the gap is even larger. In 2005, black women earned only 66 percent of what white men earned, and Hispanic women earned only 55 percent. (Maloney) The gender pay gap affects all women, no matter what income level or occupation. Women are the main providers in 4 of 10 American households with children. (Little) If women are slowly becoming the main providers for families, like single moms, wouldn’t it be important that they are earning as much as possible. Women even earn less in retirement. Women earn 76 percent of what men earn in Social Security benefits. Women make up way too much of the working poor. They make up a very big percent of minimum-wage workers. If the federal minimum-wage was raised to $10.10 an hour, 15 million women could have better wages which will definitely help close the gender pay gap. Women make up nearly half of the working pay force. (whitehouse.org) If something isn’t done soon, America will be in serious