Gender Equality

June 10th is an important day for women's history. On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963. 

This Act amended the Fair Labor Standards Act. The 1963 Act added that wage differences based on sex was no longer permissible. The Fair Labor Standards Act was signed in 1938 and it established the national minimum wage and disallows employers to hire minors. 

When the Equal Pay Act was passed, Congress stated that the goal was to "prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers." It is intended to be interpreted broadly in the case of sexual discrimination. Since the Act was passed, women's salaries have risen.