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Persuasive Essay On Equal Pay

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Imagine what an extra 20%, or more, in your paycheck could do for you. Maybe it would be the difference between just scraping by and having a little discretionary income. Now, imagine being paid based on your own merit, and not some sliding scale which has historically favored men as the breadwinners of the family. Unfortunately, for most women, equal pay is still a dream. Today, as throughout history, there exists a gender pay gap where women are paid $0.79 to every dollar a man makes. Minority women make even less. Women, of course, have always known this gap exists, but they have had little power to change it. The pay gap stems from traditionalized views of life that have not changed for decades. A recent article by the Los Angeles Times states, “It’s discriminatory because the differences were almost certainly the result of gender bias,” The pay gap has not changed throughout time, which emphasizes the lasting effect of sexism. Gender bias is introduced very young in children, and they grow up with ideas, believing them to be true. Studies show that the need for family time “…lead women to take lower-paying jobs because they’re more likely to offer flexible [hours], while fears of discrimination might steer them away from higher-paying professions” (Lam). Women typically take off more time than men for children, and often do not receive paid leave. This causes a large problem among young and single mothers who do not have another income to support them. There

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