How the Wage Gap Affects Women and why it matters!

As of 1963, the Equal Pay Act was created to prohibit or make it illegal to have different wages between women and men and was meant to prevent attacks on any person through discrimination. Although the Equal Pay Act was created over 50 years ago women are still facing discrimination to this day.

In 2016 the estimated yearly income of an average female worker in the United States was $43,122, an amount less than $23,216 than that of the average male worker.

When comparing the many countries stated in the Global Gender Gap Report (from the World Economic Forum), we can see that the United States is actually going backwards in regards to women’s rights instead of forward as so many other countries are doing.

Some of you might be thinking: Why is the United States going backwards regarding women inequality instead of forward? Why is it that the gender gap still exists in the United States? There are many problems that women face in regards to obtaining jobs in the workforce, keeping those said jobs, and being paid equally to men. Here is an icon depicting the industries’ barriers to hiring and promoting women in the workforce.

By not hiring women the workforce and industry are only harming themselves and not reaching their highest potentials.

Women bring many extraordinary qualities into the workforce. As stated by the World Economic Forum, " hiring women in the workplace will enhance innovation, enhance decision-making, help reflect the gender of women in the workplace customer base, expand the talent pool of companies, and will being fairness and equality to all."

So what can we do to help our fellow ladies in the United States with regards to women inequality in the workforce?

Here are some of the ways that society and businesses all can help the crisis regarding women’s inequality in the United States.

Are there any other ways that you think can help resolve women’s issues in the United States? Please share your ideas in the comments below.