The Equal Pay Act is a U.S. Federal Law that was enacted in 1963 as an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act. The law was passed to eradicate sex-based wage discrimination between men and women who perform jobs that require the same amount of effort, skill, and responsibility.
Prior to enactment of the Equal Pay Act, many employers paid different wages to men and women who performed the same job. The Equal Pay Act mandates that employers must not discriminate between employees on the basis of sex and that, if there are any violations, an employee can file for pay discrimination claims against the employer under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Though statistics by the Bureau of Labor confirm that women's salaries have increased dramatically since the Equal Pay Act was enacted, they also confirm that the stated goals of the act have not been achieved completely. As of 2004, women received only 80% of what men in similar positions received as remuneration (compared to 63% prior to the Equal Pay Act).