Once upon a time, a little girl could dream of being a doctor, lawyer, or astronaut but there was no way any of those dreams would ever come true. Many years have passed, equality has supposedly been achieved, and the United States is a modern society where gender is rarely a consideration for getting a job. Is this true, or are the genders still treated far from equal?
The Fight for Equality
The fight for gender equality has been going on for centuries and great strides have been made within the last 100 years. The women's rights movement actually started as early as the 1830s. In 1920, American women finally earned the right to vote via the 19th Amendment. Acceptance was still a long time away, despite the new rights granted. Since then, housewives have taken on new roles and become supposedly well-respected professionals. The problem is that many viewpoints of women in these roles has not changed.
Women's Professional Roles
Women are now seen as professional in all different modes of business. Whether it be medicine, law, or finance, women are breaking down boundaries and getting higher and higher positions. The question remains though as to whether the salaries for these jobs is equal for men and women. In a study of women's earnings from 2008, the U.S. Department of labor finds that women are earning about 80% of what their male counterparts are making. This compares to the 62% that they were making in 1979. The gap is still narrowing, but it remains nevertheless.
The Future
Under Obama's guidance, there have been new laws enacted to ensure that women will get their equal pay. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 lengthens the amount of time that an employee has to file a formal complaint of pay discrimination. Other laws are being looked at to narrow the pay gap that still exists. Small strides are being made to make sure that women will one day get their equal pay. Will our daughters receive equal pay for the same job as a man? Only time will tell.
Sources:
- Highlights of Women's Earnings in 2008. U.S. Department of Labor. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 13 July 2011.
- S.181. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Accessed 13 July 2011,
