Of the 65 million women employed in 2010, fifty-three percent can be placed into three industries (“Gender Inequality and Women in the US Labor Force”). In 2012, some of occupations with the highest percentage female in the United States were secretaries/ administrative assistants, registered nurses, and elementary/middle school teachers (“20 Leading Occupations for Employed Women, 2012”). The percentage that is female in those occupations are ninety-five, ninety, and eighty-one percent respectively (“20 Leading Occupations for Employed Women, 2012”). There is a very clear gender label placed on certain fields. In many cases individuals are looked down upon for breaking the social standards and working in a “feminine” or “masculine” …show more content…
In 1963, The Equal Pay Act was passed. One of the purposes of the legislation was “to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers” (The Equal Pay Act of 1963). President Barack Obama “signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which has extended the time period in which women who think they have earned less than their male counterparts for equal work can bring discrimination claims” in 2009 (“Factsheet”). These acts can be deemed as ineffective because in 2013 women were earning 77 to 81 cent per every dollar men made (“Factsheet”). The main stereotype used to justify the wage gap is “women don’t need equal pay because they are married” (Dobbs par. 5). This stereotype hurts women and their families. Today, it is more common for women to be solely responsible to support their families. This puts women at an immediate