Equal Pay, Still Not Equal (1980s - 1990s)

Right Fought For: The right to equal pay and protection against sexual harassment.

By the 1980s, women were working in nearly every industry. But their paychecks didn’t match their effort—or their male coworkers’. Even when women had the same job title and qualifications, they were often paid less. Some were passed over for promotions or forced into lower-paying roles.

On top of that, sexual harassment in the workplace was rampant and largely ignored. Many women felt they had to choose between staying silent or losing their job.

The Equal Pay Act had already passed in 1963, but it wasn’t being enforced. And the term “sexual harassment” didn’t even enter public vocabulary until the late 1970s. It took brave women coming forward—often alone—to force the system to pay attention.

In 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson that sexual harassment was a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. For the first time, women had legal protection from being harassed on the job. But even with laws in place, enforcement has remained weak.

This era wasn’t about earning access. It was about demanding respect in spaces women had already proven they belonged.

Sources:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “Sexual Harassment.” eeoc.gov

• National Women’s Law Center. “The Wage Gap Over Time.” nwlc.org

• Oyez. “Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson.” oyez.org