The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963 and since then, feminists and social justice workers have studied whether the pay gap still exists. As this infographic from Qualtrics demonstrates, sixty years later, the gender pay gap is still very real. There are two timelines measuring the gap between men and women year by year. We can see the gap shrinking over time, but if it continues at the rate of change we’ve seen so far we can calculate that it will still take decades to close that gap and achieve gender equality in the workplace.
Gender based wage discrimination has many root causes, all connected to societal prejudices. The Equal Pay Act came about in the 60s because prior to that decade, there were many jobs women were forbidden from doing. The feminist movement grew and gained momentum in the 60s when women fought for their right to work outside the home. It wasn’t long before they had to advocate for equal treatment to men in the work place. In 2022, women only made $0.84 to a man’s dollar. This is a significant improvement from the 1960s when women made $0.61 to a man’s dollar, but it’s clear there’s still work to do. The infographic displays dollar to dollar comparisons as well as yearly salary comparisons. It gives a full picture of the reality of gender-based wage differences.
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