Equal Pay Act
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on Equal Pay Act
1963 Equal Pay Act
Facts for kids
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 1: The idea for the
Equal Pay law arose during WW2, when many women entered
the workforce while men were fighting overseas. During
this time many women joined the labor force and the
fictional character
Rosie the Riveter
became a famous icon representing the women workers who
made their contribution to the US war effort.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 2: In 1941, at the
beginning of the war there were 14.6 million working
women. By 1944, as WW2 drew to an end, the figure had
soared to nearly 20 million working women, most earned
50% less than men in wages.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 3: Legislation called
the Women's Equal Pay Act of 1945 was introduced by
Congress but the bill contained the phrase "comparable
work" and became subject of a heated debate and failed
to pass. The words 'similar' or 'comparable' were not
enough, the work had to be equal.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 4: The 1960's began
to witness the rise of
Feminism
as women began to demand their Civil Rights. Congress
was more supportive of equal rights for women and when
the phrase "equal work" was used instead of "comparable
work," the legislation gathered sufficient support to be
enacted into law.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 5: President John F.
Kennedy supported women's rights, appointing women such
as Esther Peterson to prominent positions in his
administration and passed executive orders to advance
women's rights..
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 6: On December 14,
1961, JFK established the Presidential Commission on the
Status of Women (PCSW) via executive order 10980. Its
purpose was to advise the president on issues concerning
the status of women. Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was appointed to chair
the PCSW. The Commission called for federal action
against gender discrimination and equal pay for women.
Equal Pay Act
Facts -
7: On March 6, 1961
President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10925,
establishing the President's Committee on Equal
Employment Opportunity to investigate employment
practices. Before the act became law, American women
earned approximately 60 cents for every dollar a
man earned.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 8: On June 10, 1963, President
Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act and emphasized that the pay gap was
the driving force behind the new law. Congress made pains to point
out that the wage structure of "many segments of American industry
has been based on an ancient but outmoded belief that a man, because
of his role in society, should be paid more than a woman, even
though his duties are the same".
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 9:
The
purpose of the Equal Pay Act was to establish
equal pay for equal work among men and women working within the same
establishment.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 10: To make a claim, female plaintiffs had to prove
that they received unequal pay for performing a job that required
proof that:
-
An employer paid higher wages to men than
to women
-
Male and female employees conducted an
equal amount of work that required substantially equal skill,
effort, and responsibility
-
Work was performed under equal working
conditions to that of a male counterpart
Continued...
1963 Equal Pay Act
Facts for kids
Facts about
the Equal Pay Act for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about Equal Pay Act of 1963.
1963 Equal Pay Act
Facts for kids
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 11:
Exceptions were allowed in cases where a seniority or
merit system operated or when earnings were measured
earnings by quality or quantity of production.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 12: It was significant that
Congress chose to use the word “equal,” and not the word
“comparable". The expression "equal pay for comparable worth" has
been used in reference to the inequality in the pay women receive.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 13:
Section VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964
provided more comprehensive protection against sex discrimination by prohibiting
discrimination by private employers based on sex and
establishing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) to enforce the provision.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 14: The Equal Pay Act
of 1963 did not originally cover professionals,
executives, administrators or outside salespeople. But
the Education Amendments of 1972 amended the Fair Labor
Standards Act to cover these employees
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 15: The Equal Pay Act
of 1963 failed to achieve its aims for equal pay in the
workplace. Organizations such as
National Organization for Women
(NOW) pushed hard for an amendment and on March 22,
1972, the Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment to
the Constitution, which proposed banning discrimination
based on sex.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 16: The Equal Rights
Amendment (ERA) was sent to the states for ratification,
but fell short of the three-fourths approval needed. The
amendment again failed to gain ratification in 1982.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 17: The 15 states
whose legislatures never ratified the Equal Rights
Amendment are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri,
Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah,
and Virginia.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 18: The Equal Rights
Amendment (ERA) has been reintroduced into Congress
every year since 1982, but it has never been voted on
again. The majority of Americans mistaken believe that
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been passed. The pay
gap is still 20%.
Equal Pay Act
Facts - 19: While the past
century has seen extraordinary progress for women, the
law has still not achieved all that was hoped for and
women today still lag behind men in their wages, earning
approximately 80 cents for every dollar a man earned.
1963 Equal Pay Act
Facts for kids
Equal Pay Act - President John
F Kennedy Video
The article on the Equal Pay Act provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
John F Kennedy video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 35th American President whose presidency spanned from January 20,1961 to November 22, 1963.
Equal Pay Act
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Interesting Facts about Equal Pay Act for kids and schools
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Summary of the Equal Pay Act in US history
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The Equal Pay Act, a major
event in US history
●
John F Kennedy from January 20,1961 to November 22, 1963
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Fast, fun facts about the law
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President John F Kennedy
● John F Kennedy Presidency and
Equal Pay Act for schools,
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