Equal Pay Act Of 1963 Pros And Cons

830 Words2 Pages

After years of campaigning for women to have the right to vote, the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 26, 1920; the United States became the twenty-seventh nation to give women the right to vote. The amendment simply states that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” (History.com, 2009). The amendment helped women advocate for themselves even further by pushing for more job opportunities and equal wages. Women no longer had to be confined to the walls of the home, playing the ‘traditional’ wife role.
Though women who participated in the suffrage movement were ecstatic that their efforts were finally recognized, anti-suffragists had concerns …show more content…

Though the piece of legislation had many benefits, eliminating discrimination and promoting equal pay, it continues to have drawbacks; women today are still not receiving equal pay for equal work. For example, a female CEO often makes less than a male …show more content…

For instance, “in order to prove discrimination, a female has to prove in court that she is receiving unequal pay for work that is substantially equal and that the basis of this differential is their gender. The problem becomes one of defining what is substantially equal” (Crampton et. al, 1997). The proving of discrimination makes it a bit more difficult for women, though the bill clearly has many benefits.
A year after the Equal Pay Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was broader and more expansive, prohibiting discrimination in several different areas. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act “prohibits workplace discrimination with regard to hiring, firing, compensation, classification, promotion, and other employment decisions on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion and gender” (Crampton et. al, 1997). Though the law is beneficial, the issue once again become the proof of discrimination.
Without a doubt, these bills were passed with the intent to provide women with protection, but like any bill, issues continue to

More about Equal Pay Act Of 1963 Pros And Cons

Open Document