Critique on Feminist Blog; Equal Pay

Women have been fighting a discrimination war since the beginning of time. In 1963 when the Equal Pay Act was passed women were relieved and assumed this inequitable prejudice was finally being put to rest. Apparently, U.S businesses did not receive the memo because they are still denying females the right to make equal wages as males who are doing the same job. Recently, Lilly Ledbetter, after 19 years of working for Goodyear in Alabama, was informed that males in her workplace were making 15-40% more income than her for doing equal work. According to the Associated Press, she lost more than “$200,000 in salary and even more in pension and Social Security benefits" (Allen, 2009). After a long battle with the courts, Ledbetter brought her case to the Supreme Court which lead Barack Obama to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This act will allow individuals with pay discrimination will to file a complaint to the government within 180 days of their most recent paycheck.
There have been many arguments about one’s salary and whether or not people are being paid based on their gender or on their work ability. Today, another argument could oppose this by saying more women are being promoted over males based on attractiveness rather than ones performance. When arguing about equal pay, many people say that there are reasons why women should be paid less. Some of these reasons are the frequent choice to drop out for a few years to raise children, the idea that men have a type A personality causing them to be workaholics, and lastly there are more males than females in physically strenuous or dangerous jobs. When two people are doing the same job but happen to be of different genders there is NO reason for unequal pay and Goodyear should be embarrassed by their act of discrimination. Lilly Ledbetter has taken a stand for what she believes in and has now made a difference. It is time for U.S. businesses to treat their employees with respect and realize that everyone, not just males are trying to make a living and most often trying to support families. The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963 and it is finally being dealt with, although the problem will never be solved until companies decide transparency in regards to pay grades is an important and public figure.

Are We Equal Yet? Emily Allen, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009
Feminist Blog:
http://www.takepart.com/blog/2009/01/29/fair-pay-act-signed-into-law/