EQUAL PAY ACT OF 1963: Should Employers Be Required to Pay Women and Men Equal Wages?

Although women long played a critical role in the U.S. economy, they often received smaller paychecks than men for doing the same work. The feminist movement, which emerged after World War II (1939–1945), challenged this inequity in compensation and urged legislation to change it. In 1963, Congress debated the Equal Pay Act, a law that would guarantee women and men equal pay for doing equal work. Supporters argued that paying women lower wages for performing the same job constituted discrimination and violated their rights. Opponents argued that women required special accommodations at the workplace, which justified their lower pay, and that employers had the right to set wages as they chose. Should the Equal Pay Act be passed?

Let your students get the facts and decide for themselves: Should women be paid the same as men for doing the same work, or is unequal pay warranted? Be sure to check out Issues & Controversies in American History‘s clear and unbiased examination of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 this month.

Issues & Controversies in American History is an accessible educational database that delivers dynamic, concise, and balanced coverage providing the background, outcome, and contemporary points of view for every major debate and conflict in American history.