The second paragraph in the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The very foundation of America was built upon the aspirations of equality. However, throughout our nations proud history there has been one outstanding example of inequality in America: our gender pay gap.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor blog, the average 25 year-old female working full time earns $5,000 less over the course of her initial years of employment than the average male working the same hours and amount of workload. By the time this woman reached average retirement age (65) she would've made thousands less than a man with the same workload over her life-long career. The U.S. Department of Labor has shown statistics that portray information regarding that U.S. females earn less than men in every state and region of the country, and that once you factor in race, the pay gap for women of color is even larger.

It has nearly been half-a-century since Congress mandated equal pay for women, and yet we still have a pay gap. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 planned to protect women from workplace paycheck inequality, according to hundreds of statistics however, this act failed to provide enough protection for workplace discrimination towards women. However, Congress made an effort to sooth people who were disgruntled about the obvious imbalance in the workplace; they did this through the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2014. Democrats failed to get a single GOP vote forwarding the bill; the third attempt in recent years to pass the wage equality fell six votes short.

“The promise of equal pay for equal work should not be a partisan issue — it should be a matter of common sense and fairness, an essential step for the security of our families, the growth of our economy, and the strength of our middle class,” Pelosi states “Unfortunately, Senate Republicans disagree,” she stated after the vote.

In the install vote to forward the Equal Paycheck Act of 2014 every single republican senator voted against it- including four women. Their argument is that the Equal Pay Act of 1963 already provides enough protection over wage equality for women nationwide.

I hope to spread awareness that the gender pay gap exists and is very much problem in women's lives today; even in the 'land of the free'. For it was oppression that made the Puritans sail to America in 1630, the recognized inequality that drove Rosa Parks to refuse order from bus driver James Blake to give up her seat on the bus. We individuals share the same freedom-seeking spirit within us all, a deep hunger that strives for what is righteous and fair. May we not cower against the odds as the strong men and women who have fought against this great nationwide imbalance that rests in our very paychecks. I challenge you today to spread awareness of the U.S. Gender Pay Gap; Together we will overcome gender inequality in the workplace.

Equal Pay Day 2015 | Pennsylvania National Organization for Women

Senate GOP blocks pay equity bill - POLITICO

http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-republicans-reject-equal-pay-bill/2014/04/09/ce011342-c003-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html?utm_term=.1fb71f62cdaf

https://blog.dol.gov/2012/06/07/myth-busting-the-pay-gap/

Women of Color Make Far Less Than 78 Cents to a Man's Dollar | New ...

http://fortune.com/2016/04/12/equal-pay-day-facts/