I interviewed Amber Lusvardi, a professor of social sciences and feminist studies at Millikin University. Here she shares her thoughts, knowledge, and opinions.
Q: Do you feel women deserve equal pay? Why?
A: Women, of course, deserve equal pay to men for doing equal work. We have recognized this in the United States since the Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963. However, despite the Equal Pay Act, and other legislation trying to shore up equality between men and women, women still make less money than men for doing the same work. This is a form of continued discrimination against women.
Q: What major historical events have led up to the equality of women?
A: The first major event in the women’s rights movement was the Seneca Fall’s Convention of 1848, the first ever large convention for women’s rights in the United States. It was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Following that would be the fight for women’s suffrage, which was not won until 1920. At the same time that the civil rights movement for African Americans was happening during the 1960s, a movement for women’s rights was happening as well. Several advancements happened for women during this time period: The Supreme Court case Reed v. Reed, the development of numerous women’s organizations, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the writings of several prominent feminists, including Betty Friedan. Also, more controversially, the case of Roe V. Wade.
Q: What is the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and how has it been significant in the fight for equal pay for women?
A: The Equal Pay Act codified the notion that women should be paid the equivalent of males for doing similar work in the same work environment. Women have still yet to achieve equal pay for many reasons. For one, women take more time off of work to meet the needs of their children and tend to work part-time after the birth of a child or when their child is young. This keeps them from advancing like their male counterparts. Women tend to not ask for raises as frequently as men. Also, it is difficult to prove cases of pay inequality because it requires women to know how much money their male counterparts are making.
Q: Do you feel that women are treated differently in the workplace? How?
A: We have come a long way since the 1950s and 1960s when women were openly discriminated against in the workplace. This type of overt and widespread discrimination against doesn’t exist today. If anything, I think women still face the greatest challenges when they are trying to excel in non-traditional roles that don’t fit into our stereotypical ideas about what women “should” do. We still see women struggling to reach high levels of power in business and politics.
Q: What can we do to help further equality for women?
A: To further equality for women, we must first recognize that some forms of discrimination against women still exist. Modern women often shrug off the term “feminist” and feel like the fight for equality is over. However, women still lack equal pay, equal representation in all levels of government, and realistic access to the top levels of business. Also, women are disproportionately affected by violence. Organizations and institutions exist to address the types of issues, but they lack power when we fail to recognize discrimination against women as an issue.
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