According to sophomore Kayley, “The gender wage gap doesn’t even exist!” “Women choose lower paying jobs.” claims fellow student Alison. These are some of the many misconceptions that high school students have about the gender wage gap. While some people do not know enough about the subject to have an opinion, others have one-sided, sexist opinions that they hear from their parents, friends or the media. Some people believe that the gender wage gap does not exist while others think that the gap is there for a reason; women are physically and mentally less than men. This is an outdated thought that should have been terminated long ago. The gender wage gap can be stopped if a congressional amendment is passed outlawing it.
   

Nationwide, American women make seventy nine cents for every man’s dollar, a twenty one percent gap in pay. The gap is largest in Louisiana, with a thirty five percent gap and lowest in Washington D.C., with a ten percent gap. In our home state of Massachusetts, women make eighty two percent of the money men make. People as far back as John F. Kennedy have attempted to fix this problem without results. According to the New York Times, “More than a half-century after President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the gap between what men and women earn has defied every effort to close it. And it can’t be explained away as a statistical glitch, a function of women preferring lower-paying industries or choosing to take time off for kids”(nytimes.com). Blaming women using stereotypical excuses does not justify women being paid less than men.
   

In order to receive equal pay, women need to negotiate their salaries with their employers and discuss pay with coworkers. Fifty seven percent of men argue salaries with employers compared to only seven percent of women. Women also ask for seven thousand dollars less than men on average when negotiating. This could be a contributing factor to why men are still paid more than women. If women exercised their rights to know why they are paid the amount that they are, it could close the gender wage gap significantly. Discussing wages is somewhat taboo among coworkers. If this idea is squashed, it could help close the wage gap. If you do not know what your coworkers make, it is impossible to make conclusions about whether you are being paid fairly or not.
   

Paid family leave policies could help manage the gender wage problems. Women would want to stay in the workforce longer if they knew they could leave for a certain amount of time to take care of their children without being penalized. Women would earn more money in their lifetime; the same amount as men. As of right now, only three states have policies guaranteeing the right to take off work; California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. The United States is one of the only developed countries that does not give paid maternal and paternal leaves to its citizens, and in order to face gender wage gap issues head on, this issue has to be addressed.  
   

The Paycheck Fairness Act and the Equal Rights Amendment could be the stepping stones the wage equality movement needs to work towards closing the wage gap. The Paycheck Fairness Act would update the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and require employers to to show that differences in wage are not due to the sex of the employee. It also states that employers cannot retaliate if an employee speculates about his or her wages and it strengthens penalties for gender based wage violations. The Equal Rights Amendment ensures equality in all aspects of society for both genders, including the workforce. “Currently, the only law that touches on equality for women and men is the right to vote. The [Equal Rights Amendment] would protect every American’s right equally without regard to sex or gender,” claims the Huffington Post. The passing of one or both of these laws, would help the movement and be a substantial jump towards closing the gender wage gap.
   

Even though there is a long way to go, there have been many successes so far in the fight to close the gender wage gap. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed his first piece of legislation, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. This act protects a woman’s right to take action against pay discrimination in her workplace. It is named after a woman who found out she was being paid less than her male counterparts and took it to the courts to fight Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.. Four states have passed laws trying to end this injustice. North Dakota passed a bill making it harder for employers to use reasons other than work-related defenses for difference in pay. Oregon made a bill that forbade employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees who try and discuss wages or who are involved with movements to fix pay discrimination. Connecticut passed an almost identical law to Oregon’s along with one that increased remedies paid to victims of this discrimination. Delaware hits the nail right on the head with a bill that requires contractors to pay all employees equally. Other states such as Illinois and New York are awaiting approval of such bills, while states such as Massachusetts and California have bills that are still in play in legislation.

There are many ways to help close the gender wage gap, but the most influential piece will be the ratification of congressional laws outlawing unequal pay. Anyone who believes in this cause can help at home by doing small things like sharing information and educating others about this movement. If even one more person recognizes this problem, we are one step closer to closing the gender wage gap.