Equal Pay For Women

If someone striving to succeed has the option of a dollar or a combination of change equaling 77 cents, which would he or she choose? Many women in the workforce do not have an option because of the gender wage gap. There are many obstacles for women in the workforce, but a major problem women continue to face is the chance to receive equal pay to men in equal jobs. With lower salaries, many women have trouble supporting their family and are only able to afford the necessities. Actions improving women’s opportunities to earn equal pay for equal work are not effective in the United States, but could be improved with support and legislative changes implemented by the president and his staff.
Challenges for women in the workforce began centuries
ago. In 1890’s, Mary Kenney O’Sullivan became one of the first to seek help for women by organizing women into labor unions(Feminism). On June 14, 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was the first Act in the United States to require federal regulation of wages and hours. A huge turning point for women in the workforce happened with the Equal Pay Act of 1963. This Act was put into place requiring equal pay for equal work, to end gender-based gaps. Since this Act, no major changes have been put into place to help women in the workforce. In 2014, President Barack Obama encouraged Congress to vote yes to the Paycheck Fairness Act to improve the Equal Pay Act. However, legislation blocked this Act. More women than ever before work outside their homes, yet the gender wage gap problem still continues to exist for women in the workforce. The gap rate has not improved, but remains at the same rate, or even worse, than previous years.
It is evident that women in America are not treated fairly because they are not receiving equal pay for doing equal work in the workforce.
Women work just as hard as men during their working hours. Women who worked hard for their education and job are treated unfairly with their wage. Almost all jobs for women pay less than what a man earns doing the same job. For instance, “In researching this issue at the Center for Gender Studies, we found only four occupational categories for which comparison data were available in which women earned even a little more than men: special education teachers, order clerks, electrical and electronic engineers and food preparation occupations (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)” (Lips 309-310). Many occupations for women do not offer equal or more pay than men receive. The opportunity for women to earn even a little more than men in equal positions is limited to four categories of occupations. Not all women want to fit themselves into those careers. More occupations should be available for women at equal pay of men. Women do not deserve to be paid less than men in equal positions. This is causing women to be upset because they believe even though they have the education, experience and deserve to succeed in the workplace, they face the challenge to receive the same wage as men do. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was a positive step forward for women in the workplace, but no major changes to benefit working women have been implemented since then. Another example states "It's been 51 years since the Equal Pay Act was passed, and women still aren't getting equal pay for equal work," says Lisa Maatz, vice president of government relations at the American Association of University Women. "The whole point of the Paycheck Fairness Act would have been to tighten up the gender pay gap"(Little). Equal pay has been a problem in the United States for a long time. Over the years, many have rallied to make it better for women in the workforce, but the
end result is generally the same, leaving women to earn less money in equal jobs. If the United States desires to be more successful in the future, giving women equal pay needs to be a top priority. President Obama once said, “Women deserve equal pay for equal work. … I firmly believe when women succeed, America succeeds”(Wehrman). It will be difficult for America to succeed when there are so many in government against equality in the workplace. President Obama tried to give women more chance for higher education and skills for the workforce, but others did not support his thoughts. Actions need to be enforced to help women receive equal pay in order to help women and America succeed.
More flexibility and actions must be taken by President Obama to help to improve equal pay for women. President Obama is taking multiple actions to help improve equal pay for women in the workforce. An example shows “On April 8, Equal Pay Day, symbolizing how far into the current year that women must work to earn as much as men made in the past year, President Obama signed two executive actions to help correct the pay gap. One prohibits federal contractors, who are typically major corporate employers, from retaliating against employees who share wage information. The other action requires federal contractors to give summary wage reports to the Department of Labor, categorized by race and sex. The women's and civil rights movements have long wanted major employers to disclose wage data by sex, race and ethnicity”(Little). Inequality in the workforce continues to be a problem in the United States. Steps are being taken by Congress and President Obama to correct the problem, but total agreement is very complicated. The new requirements to provide reports to the Department of Labor are a step in the right direction to more equality. Any actions made to help earn equal pay are a start to improve the lives of all women. President Obama attempted to provide women in the workforce a chance to fight back when they felt they were being treated unfairly in their jobs. For instance, “The Lilly Ledbetter Act was the first substantive law Obama signed when he became president. It loosened restrictions on when women could sue regarding pay discrimination, allowing pay discrimination lawsuits within 180 days of each new paycheck that was discriminatory”(Wehrman). The Lilly Ledbetter Act was President Obama’s support for women who believed they were being discriminated against in their jobs. It gave them the right to question and fight back when they received unequal pay. The Lilly Ledbetter Act helps women fight for equal pay to men. Women are getting paid less than men because their employers feel women require more flexibility to have children and care for their family. An example, “Crouse said that women are often paid less because they’re given additional flexibility, may have taken time off to raise children or have to work fewer hours or may be inclined toward traditionally lower-paying careers”(Wehrman). Many issues of inequality in pay come from the types of jobs a woman chooses. Often women work in low wage jobs. This shows that women are willing to accept not getting the same pay as men. If they want to receive the same amount, woman need to go into fields that offer higher pay, negotiate for equal pay, and ask for raises and promotions.
Ultimately, support and legislative changes made by the president and staff are actions needed to improve women’s opportunities to earn equal pay for equal work. More Acts besides the Equal Pay of 1963 need to be enforced to help women receive more equality in their wage. There are not enough jobs for women in the workforce to receive the same or higher salaries than men. America will never be able to succeed if women do not have the chance for equal success in the workforce. Acts supported by President Obama, including The Lilly Ledbetter Act, are ways to improve equal pay for equal work. Women need to strive to earn a good education in challenging fields. They must show their strength in negotiating for equal pay, raises and promotions. If treated unfairly in the workforce, women must know how and when to challenge for equality. Hopefully there will soon be a day when it does not matter if an employee is a male or female, so the gender pay gap will end. Imagine a workforce that does not have to make a choice between 77 cents or a dollar and, regardless of sex, employees will receive the same pay for equal work.