Ivanka Trump’s hypocritical approach to supporting her father’s decision to end the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, put in to act by former President of the U.S. Barack Obama, is nothing more than an attempt to further solidify the welcoming of prejudiced ways into our country.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was an attempt to close the wage gap for women and minorities. This law mandated businesses employing more than 100 employees to report the income of each employee to ensure discrimination was not present in pay. Allowing the records to be annually reviewed and made public added an extra level of pressure to businesses to live up to the current laws. This was an effort put in place to demand accountability and equality for all.
Trump’s support comes not long after her trip to Berlin where she said, “You passed an equal pay legislation to promote transparency and try to finally narrow gender pay gap…that is something we should all be looking at,” in response to German Chancellor Angela Merkal’s Germany law, which is strikingly similar to that of the Fair Pay Act. The only notable difference between the U.S.’s and Germany’s laws are the amount of employees that dictates a business has to report. Germany’s law states if a business has over 200 employees, the business must disclose the income of each worker.
Trump’s argument, that mirrors that of her supporters, is that the law requires too much of business owners. She said, “[The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009] is enormously burdensome.” Trump is supporting the idea that a business being frustrated by a regulation is more important than that same business potentially discriminating against employees.
There are several responsibilities that business owners have and a countless number of regulations that businesses are required to follow to stay active and legal. It is disturbing that the regulation that Trump is backing the removal of is the one that focuses on women and minorities receiving parallel pay. Yes, this is an extra step a company will have to perform, but to prove that your company is a legitimate equal opportunity employer it should be worth it, especially if there is nothing to hide.
Offering an equivalent playing field for all potential employees is an added bonus to attract employment for a business because this is something that has never been guaranteed for minorities and women before. This law did nothing more than put responsibility where it belonged: in the hands of the employers. Validating legitimacy should not be a hard task, but a required expectation for operating in a country that is supposed to be built off equality and fairness for all.
Trump’s hypocrisy was visible as she backed her father’s decision to remove something as vital to women as equal pay. Her social media dedication to women’s rights was completely discredited by her openness to eliminating the Fair Pay Act.
Trump made it clear that discrimination is not a priority, and this decision needs to be remembered going further.
