The underlying cause of the wage gap is sex discrimination, plain and simple. Employers pay women less than men.

Fifty years ago today, Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, enshrining in law the principle that a worker should be compensated based not on gender, but on his or her performance. Five decades later, much work remains as we strive to translate this noble principle into practice.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama says that 50 years after enactment of the Equal Pay Act, the nation still faces gender wage disparities that must...

In an age where women in the United States are almost half the workforce, are more likely to gain higher levels of education than men, and increasingly are the main or co-breadwinner in families, we cannot wait for another 44 years for the gender wage gap to be finally relegated to the history books.

Today, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, we launch the Equal Pay Today Platform, calling for state and national actions to end the practices which are contributing to the gender wage gap.

Let's raise a glass to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Equal Pay Act, but not too high. If things don't change, we're on the road to a permanent (mostly female) underclass. We still have a lot of work to do.

This week, we recognize Equal Pay Day -- the day that marks how far into the new year women have to work to catch up with men's wages from the previous year. Let's remember how far we have to go to see real equality for women and press for progress.

Pay secrecy policies keep unequal pay hidden from employees and enable pay discrimination to continue. We know this from the story of Lilly Ledbetter - who learned about her decades of unequal pay at Goodyear only via an anonymous note.

Women on the Hill make thousands less than their male counterparts each year, with the gap particularly pronounced amongst Republican staffers. On ...

Eric Fehrnstrom, senior campaign adviser for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, turned heads on Sunday when he said that women's issues, suc...

The Paycheck Fairness Act would put an end to pay secrecy policies by prohibiting retaliation against employees who inquire about their employers' wage practices or disclose their own pay to colleagues.

When House Republicans stall on reauthorizing and expanding the Violence Against Women Act, they are blinding themselves to the everyday experiences of women's lives.

Although the government will ultimately have to decide to enforce pay equity, we can make sure our support and the impact of pay inequity are known now. And one way to do that is by dancing.

Earlier today, the Senate failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. I am disappointed, but remain committed to the fight to ensure women are not treated as second-class citizens by employers who refuse to compensate them in a fair manner.

There is no doubt that we need to strengthen equal pay laws, which have been weakened over time in the courts, and to require the federal government to be more proactive in preventing and battling wage discrimination.

Despite our best efforts, new research shows that the future is not as bright for our children as we once thought. Women lag behind men in pay and promotions. There is a crisis in female leadership. The question is: how do we fix this?