Dear Future President,

Susan B. Anthony dedicated her life to women deserving to be treated as equal as men. Her work should not be in vain. Susan said “the day may be approaching when the whole world will recognize woman as the equal of man.” Has this day come? Will it ever? Women may have earned the right to vote and are allowed to work in top of the line positions, but that in no way means men and women are equal. There is a gap in wage between the genders. Women only make 81% of what men make according to the International Labor Organization. By the time a woman is 59, she has lost up to $800,000 because of the wage gap. While there are many other ways the genders aren’t equal, this is an important issue that needs to be solved.

Wage equality is a major issue that needs to be solved. In this day and age, we are taught not to stick to the status quo. If this is true, why are men still viewed more superior to women? Since this is a time of change it’s time to fix women’s wages. This topic matters because in most jobs women are just as capable as men. It’s almost as if businesses don’t understand that they need to give a pay that matches the quality and ethic of work being done. An average household has two parents and a child. If the mother is paid the amount she is deserved, combined with the father’s income many new opportunities could be available for their child.

Many countries’ women are much worse off than those in the U.S, but some are better. Sweden, for example, has a feminist government. One of their main focuses is to increase gender equality and economic equality. The Minister for Gender Equality has gathered a group of people to create a gender equality policy and all government officials are taking part in a gender equality training. If other countries are taking such a big role to fix the gender gap in economics, then why can’t we? Many feminist groups have been formed, but it seems as if the U.S government isn’t taking a big part toward solving the issue.

The gender wage gap is already bad in itself, but it’s getting worse. The U.S is currently ranked 74th in wage equality, while just last year they were 65th according to Cleveland.com. While many countries are taking a stand for wage equality, there is no country where women are paid the same as men. One of the reasons for this wage gap is maternity leave. Only 12% of companies in the U.S offer paid maternity leave (Huffington Post). The Family and Medical Leave Act made in 1993 says if a women works at a company with more than 50 employees then she is given a 12 week maternity leave, which doesn’t have to include pay. Men get more pay because they don’t have to take as much time off as the women after their child is born.

Others may have a different opinion about women’s situation with wage inequality. Some may argue that the U.S’s wage gap between men and women really isn’t a big deal. If you think about it, many countries are way worse off than the United States. Countries such as India and Iraq are suffering from a lack of rights in general. In India 68% of women are victims to domestic violence (Huffington Post). While in Iraq the prime minister will not appoint women to a senior government role and women’s lives at home are regulated by religious leaders. I understand a wage gape may seem like a minor problem compared to these global issues, but for the U.S it is major one.

Addressing this problem could do one of two things. It could motivate you to fight for wage equality or it could do nothing at all. If we were to have a more feminist government like Sweden it would change things for the better. I understand that this is a major jump in government, so little things could happen to lead up to this big advancement. One main thing that needs changed is The Family and Medical Leave Act. If you aren’t going to focus on equal pay then give women paid maternity leave. Companies act as if it is an inconvenience for a women to have a child while it is just as much the man’s responsibility. With paid maternity leave pay could be a little higher until the main issue is fixed

In conclusion, the wage inequality needs to be fixed. About 51% of the workforce is made up of women (Women’s Bureau). This problem is a fairly easy fix, give men and women and the same amount of pay. You could do this many ways, you do have almost total control over the government. It’s time to make a change. Women have fought for equal rights for very long and sadly probably will continue to fight for much longer, but with your help Mr., or Madam President, we can put an end to gender inequality wage gaps.

Sincerely,

Olivia N.