Equal Pay for Equal Work

During the Industrial Revolution, women were often paid less than their male counterparts for similar jobs. As the first wave of feminism gained traction and popularity, the demand for equal pay for equal work became an important movement. In the 1830s, women began to be unionized, and they used their new power to make their voices heard. In this period, there were a series of strikes organized and promoted by unionized women in the United Kingdom. Following World War II, trade unions and legislation in many countries began to slowly embrace the “equal pay for equal work” platform.

Despite the laws enacted throughout the world, women still struggle with being paid less than their male counterparts for the same work. Although the gender pay gap has ...