In addition, through the efforts of Peterson, who had been appointed Assistant Secretary of Labor, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was passed by Congress and President Kennedy signed it into law on June 10, 1963. On July 24, 1962, President Kennedy ordered the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies not to discriminate by sex in appointing or promoting employees of the federal government, a power that Attorney General Kennedy advised the president he could exercise under existing law. President Kennedy hoped that the Commission would “indicate what remains to be done to demolish prejudices and outmoded customs which act as barriers to the full partnership of women in our democracy.”(His full statement on the on the establishment of the Commission can be found here.) The panel, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt until her death in 1962 and administered by Peterson, provided greater visibility of the difficult issues facing women. Women also tended to be employed in low wage jobs that were considered appropriate for their sex.Īt the urging of Esther Peterson, Director of the US Women’s Bureau, President Kennedy created the President’s Commission on the Status of Women in 1961 to evaluate and make recommendations to improve the legal, social, civic, and economic status of American women. In the early 1960s, although women made up one third of the labor force, they were paid 60% as much as men. For the next 17 years, many similar proposals were sent to Congress without success. In 1945, a comprehensive Women’s Equal Pay Act, was introduced to Congress, but it failed to pass. In order to pass the bill, however, the original language was weakened, limiting the law’s effectiveness. In 1870, Congress passed an amendment to an appropriations bill that would give equal pay to female clerks hired by the federal government. Students should have general background knowledge of how a bill becomes a law and some understanding of women’s struggle for equal rights.Īlthough women represent nearly half of the labor force, according to 2018 data reported by the National Women’s Law Center, they were paid 82% of the income for men.įor more than a century, various organizations have attempted to achieve pay equity for women and men. analyze the significance of signatures, stamps, and markings on the official document.evaluate the Equal Pay Act of 1963 for its strength and weaknesses.discuss the issue of gender pay equity in the past and today.OverviewĮssential Questions: How can the US create gender pay equity for its citizens? Kennedy Presidential Library and Museumĭownload this lesson plan, including handouts, in PDF format.
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