Dear Editor,

For years, women have had to fight for the same rights that were simply handed over to men. Even though in the United States, women have equal rights, it doesn’t mean that they are completely equal to men. One of these problems women are facing is the gender-based wage gap. This divide between salary, based almost entirely off gender, has (but shouldn’t have) been a problem for decades.

The IWPR found that in 2017, women earned 80% of what men earned in the same job. This means, that for every dollar a man makes, women make an average of 20 cents less. People who’ve worked the same hours and have the same level of education aren’t earning the same amount, which is very unfair. However, companies haven’t done much to correct it. A 2017 AAUW survey found that approximately 94% of women in the US face some sort of wage gap in which the men were favored. Unless something is done about it, this gap will only get larger as time progresses.

For many low-income workers, the wage gap is a big problem, especially those supporting a family. However, the solutions are fairly easy. The largest solution being used today is protesting, which can be done by anyone. Thousands of people protest in the streets of their towns, trying to get companies, or even the government, from doing something about this. Citizens can also notify members of Congress, or other government officials, who can make it a law or regulation. Lastly, people can simply call their bosses or supervisors out. Many people have quit or turned down jobs because their female counterparts didn’t receive the same pay as them. However, the gender wage gap can, and should, be abolished.

Sincerely,

Natasha Sanghvi

8th grade