Avissa S. California

Space Between Salaries

The gap should be closed.

Hello Future US President,

Before I begin, I would like to congratulate you on your new position.

The Wage Gap should be changed because salaries are currently influenced by gender and the Equal Pay Act was disregarded. Salaries are currently influenced by gender, however, there is no real reason why. AAUW.org did a study on how much women were paid as a percentage of men’s salaries from 1960 to today. “Did you know that in 2015, women working full time in the United States typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid, a gap of 20 percent?” (AAUW.org). Originally, women were paid 60% of what men were paid, and for a period of time they were paid less. 

The Equal Pay Act was neglected because people still debated and some jobs were labeled for each gender. This law forbade paying men and women differently for the same or close to the same job. “Although the EPA was passed in 1963, it was debated in workplaces and courtrooms for decades thereafter. In this statement submitted to the Senate hearing on the EPA, the National Retail Merchant Association (NRMA), an organization representing retail employers, claimed that the legislation was unnecessary, expensive, and impossible to enforce.” (historymatters.gmu.edu). This law should be reinforced because of the impact it could make on people’s lives. Not only would it help women around the world today, but it can help future working girls.

Some people say we should not abolish it because it is a worthless topic to dwell on. This is a worthy topic to think about and consider. As long as the gap shrinks 10%, there will be half of the gap gone. Later on, you could even take the other half away. Many women work as hard as any man. Do you think they work for fun? For money? No. They work because they are spending 8 hours of their day doing something they are gifted to do. There are working women who also need these 8 hours to support their families. Shouldn’t they be rewarded for what they do?

In conclusion, The Wage Gap should be changed because salaries are currently affected by gender and the Equal Pay Act was disregarded. Many never really spend time, truly thinking about this situation. I know I am only 13 and I will be working later in life, but, this is an important topic for women everywhere. You are the most influential person in the US. You have the power to change this. Will you chose to do it?

Thank You,

Avissa

"Federal Legislation Is Not Needed": Debating the Equal Pay Act of 1963." "Federal Legislation Is Not Needed": Debating the Equal Pay Act of 1963. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

"The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Fall 2016)." AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016. <http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/>.