Val Vilott, Outreach Associate

If you had told me when I was a high schooler that gender pay discrimination was still an issue, I'm not sure I would have believed you. I'd learned about so many great strides made toward equality — for women and for all people — throughout my social studies and history classes.

And it's true — as a country we've made a great many strides toward equality that we should be proud of. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was one of these important moves forward. But today, 48 years later, women still make only 77 cents per dollar their male counterparts make.

Despite this grim reality, the goings-on in Washington this last year has fueled the fire for equal pay:

• The Supreme Court ruling handed down this June in Wal-Mart v. Dukes dealt a blow to women across the country, as well as the women of Wal-Mart, seeking justice using class actions in employment discrimination cases. In a 5-4 decision, the majority opinion created a series of new hurdles for women, as well as new incentives for employers to evade their responsibility to maintain a fair and equal workplace.
• Last November, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have deterred wage discrimination by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and barred retaliation against workers who disclose their wages to coworkers, fell just short of moving forward to a final vote on the Senate floor.

But again, this is just fuel for the fire. Regardless of setbacks, women must continue to move the ball forward for fair pay. Especially in today's undulating economy it is more important than ever that women be paid fairly — for their sake, and the sake of their families. The Paycheck Fairness Act has been reintroduced in both houses of Congress, and we need your help to build support for this important bill.