Why We Need Equal Pay Now!
Eve Ghuloum
Almost half the world's population is living under the poverty line, and most of those people are women and children. If we eliminated the pay gap between men and women, that statistic would reduce noticeably. This problem has been affecting women for decades and many have struggled to get back on their feet after having a child. Employers should pay men and women equally for the same type of work because It is affecting females in a negative way. The pay gap makes it harder for women to be financially stable. Women earn a third less than their normal pay when they return to work after having children, this makes it hard for them to care for their children and work. It is also harder for mothers to work and care for their children if they are earning a third less after they return to work. Pay equality is necessary for women to be seen as equals to men in society
Although you may not know it, there is a law that requires equal pay between men and women when doing the same job with the same company. Employers cannot discriminate against people because of their gender. The equal pay act of 1963 says that “women and men should be given equal pay for equal work in the same establishment”. It was signed into law on June 10, 1963, by John F Kennedy as part of the New Frontier Program. The reason why Congress saw the need to pass this law was because they realized that sex discrimination causes conflict in the workforce, which then affects the ability of the company to grow and make money. Another reason for the passing of this bill is that discrimination based on sex creates unfair competition between genders. Although the law has been in place for nearly 60 years there are still companies guilty of sex discrimination in the workforce. This law is not working as well as intended and therefore many women are suffering injustice in the workplace.
The lack of equal pay is directly causing poverty among women and children around the world. Equal pay can help eliminate poverty. According to the World Bank, 44% of extreme poor are children and more girls than boys are living in poverty. Between the ages of 25 and 34 women live in poorer households than men in the same age range. Women in America are 35% more likely to be poor than men, as studied by Legal Momentum. By eliminating the wage gap you are bringing people out of poverty. According to Women's Funding Network, poverty can drop by 50% in the US if the gender pay gap were to be eliminated.On average, women are paid 80 cents to every dollar a man makes, despite the fact many women are becoming increasingly important in the financial stability of their families. The money that a woman earns directly affects family income and financial status. There are nearly 6 million families in poverty, and we could cut that to less than 3 million if the wage gap were eliminated. By giving equal wages we can reduce the poverty rate but we can also aid the females who choose to start families while maintaining their job.
People used to think that women were inferior to men and not fit to work out of the home. But during and after WWll they proved everyone wrong, rising above expectations and taking on the work of their partners. This spurred a revolution of working women, empowering many to start careers and pursue their passions. At the time most of their employers were male, giving the men an upper hand because many still believed that women belong at home in the kitchen. So women were not hired very often and when they were hired it was for a women’s job which included, nurse, midwife, cleaner, and some times banking, textile, and light industries. Although they were getting jobs, the injustice continued. Many employers paid females marginally less than males. They were thought of as “secondary workers” meaning their wages were not thought of as the families main source of income, instead as an “extra” for family vacations or “new consumer durables.” In the 50’s employers mainly operated using the “marriage bar,” where married women were restricted from certain jobs such as teaching and clerical jobs. Once they were married or pregnant they would be dismissed from work. By the 60’s they were doing the same work as men but earning far less than them. And to this day this inequality is still going on because people are not being held accountable for this discrimination.
Although pay inequality happens to this very day, women have been fighting for the pay gap to be eliminated since WW2. Many employers are still neglecting the pay act of 1963. After WW2, people went back to their old ways of thinking that women were not equal to men in any regard so therefore, pay has not been equalized. If the pay gap were to be demolished, many women would have the opportunity to get out of poverty, have a career and a family, and most importantly economic stability so that they can finally have an equal chance at buying a house, going to college, and supporting themselves.
