Equal Pay Act: Unequal Pay For Women

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Fifty two years have passed since John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, and it still has not been fully effective. This law was enacted to protect women from discrimination and inequality in the workplace and promote equal pay for equal skills, effort, and responsibility (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1). The American Association of University Women (AAUW) reported that full-time female employees were paid just 77 percent of what men were paid (3). The wage gap have narrowed since the 1970s because more women are focusing on education and attending colleges. (AAUW 3). However, women are still experiencing unequal pay. The Equal Pay Act has not benefited women in the workforce due to women’s choices, occupational …show more content…
Women became part of the United States workforce when men began to join the military. With the need of women working in factories and stores, women made up 37 percent of the workforce (United States National Park Service 1). During this time, unions started to advocate for equal pay. The National War Labor Board supported this new idea by issuing a General Order for equal pay for men and women for work that was of "comparable quality and quantity." Unfortunately, the Women’s Equal Pay Act that was proposed in 1945 never passed. After the United States successfully ended World War II, men began to replace women in the workforce which dropped the percentage of women in the workforce to less than 28 percent. Although 25 million women were working in 1960, they were paid 59 cents for every dollar that males make (United States National Park Service 1). World War II accelerated the movement for equal …show more content…
The following year, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 represented people of different race, religion, and national origin. Executive Order 11246 and Executive Order 11375 banned federal government contractors from discriminating in employment and required them to engage in affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity based on race, color, religion, national origin, and gender. With the passing of the Education Amendments of 1972, women were allowed to pursue an education without discrimination and apply for financial aid. To help women who are starting a family, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 protected women from employment discrimination during pregnancy, maternity leave, and other medical issues. The numerous legal advances that followed the Equal Pay Act protected the minorities from
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