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The Equal Pay Act Of 1963 Essay

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The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was influential in creating a progressive environment which would contribute to creating a fairer world for all. The Act was instrumental in changing the thought process of Americans at the time, and is responsible for supporting equal pay in the workplace. Gender equality pay is an issue people have been fighting over for years, but when the Equal Pay Act of 1963 passed, it certainly aided in the fight for equality for all. (Salem Press Encyclopedia) During the 1960’s, women represented about forty percent of America’s labor force. Women have typically received a median average wage three-fifths that of a male’s earnings. In the 1960’s, people justified paying women a lower wage using the excuse that a male’s societal role, as the main breadwinner, entitled him to a higher pay than a woman. Even if a woman and a man were performing the same job, a man would get paid higher simply because of his gender. Women began to realize the wage gender inequality, and began fighting for equal rights. First proposed by Alice Paul, the Equal Rights Act was meant to create an equal workplace for men and women. Born in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey, Alice Paul grew up in a Quaker family. She was raised in the Quaker faith, and ever since she was a little girl, her parents always instilled in her the importance of fighting for her beliefs. This encouraged her to become active in the equal rights movement, and is most probably one of the reasons she was

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