Since women in America began regularly working outside the home during the Civil War, they have received a lower salary than men. Despite the amount of effort they put into their work compared to the male, when both a woman and a man complete the same task, a female is not compensated as much. This is a social crime and needs to change.

Approximately four out of ten children are born to unwed mothers. There are over 12 million single families, 80% of which are headed by single mothers. This means at least 9.6 million children are born to parents with a salary that, on average, was  21% lower than a male’s. Depending on the job, this can be thousands of dollars less a family receives each year. This is less food, less clothing, and less paid bills.

Senior Ocean Walker says, “[Women deserve equal pay] because I view women equally as important to men.”

Some argue that if one works harder they will receive the same pay as a male, but this is a myth. Even actor Jennifer Lawrence was subjected to this gap; the Washington Post reported that she was paid less than her male counterparts in the “Silver Linings Playbook,” which she won an Oscar for.

This gender pay discrimination affects all levels of societies, too. Favoring males in leadership positions and rewarding them with more pay is less beneficial to a company. An average company with women in managerial positions received a 26% higher income than those without in 2014.

“[Women] work the same [positions] as men but receive lower pay, which is unfair,” says junior Kaushik Shankar.

This continuous suppression of women financially will hinder progression within the United States and enforce gender roles that damage female and male mental and social health. They need to be broken for all to reach their full potential in all aspects of society.