To expand on what seems to be only a woman's issue in America, the equal pay rights and equal pay laws for women aren’t just for females. They are for families. And men are a part of those families. Therefore, it is important for both, men and women, to appreciate and become aware of these laws so they can protect those rights, as the rights of women is to increase the livelihoods of both male and female as they work together on behalf of providing for their children and grandchildren or nieces and nephews.

The Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009 gives a female an opportunity to file charges of discriminatory wages at anytime during her employment. Before 2009, if a female had discovered she was paid differently than her male counterpart doing the same job and for more money, under law the female could not recoup any wage discrepancies because the law had stated she must file those discrepancies within 180 days of her hire date, so as in the case of Lilly Ledbetter vs Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (2007), Lilly did not find out until years later that she was paid at a lower wage from her male counterparts and when she took the company to court, according to the 'then' present law, it was her fault that she did not know she was discriminated against. The new 2009 law then will see to it that, “the statute of limitations runs from the date of the actual payment of a discriminatory wage, not just from the time of hiring.”

The Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009 was a key element discussed during the 2012 Presidential Debate at Hofstra University in New York in regards to the young lady’s question about equal pay for women in the workforce. President Obama signed the law in 2009, and only four republicans had voted for the law. Romney didn’t say he was for or against the law, just that he had gone out to find women to serve on his cabinet while he was governor of Massachusettes, which implies people will do the right thing and hire women and just give them equal pay.

Unfortunately, the pattern of history, business, and law makers concerning women in the United States have all been about giving as less to a female in regards to pay, rights, and healthcare. So as citizens of this great nation we cannot expect people “to do the right thing,” because if history has taught us anything, “most people will not do the right thing, especially when they can get away with not doing the right thing.” And if the laws continue aiding and abetting those who intend to reap more for themselves and less for others, then America will continue to have poverty, violence, and ignorance.

Culture has played a consistent role in the slow progress of women having upward financial mobility in America. Slowly, women have become privvy to marketing strategies to help increase customers for their businesses, and it's mostly due to men sharing ideas with women. It wasn’t until 1974 that credit opportunities were extended to a woman without the signature of her husband or father, providing that she had a job and could qualify. It wasn’t until 1968 when business were prohibited from advertising positions indicating they were looking to hire men only.

When raising a family, men often feel just as trapped as women in having to be the sole provider of a family. The laws are to help both sexes, not pit one against the other; but tradition often taunts the thoughts of men against the freedoms of women, and the thoughts of women against men when men don’t earn enough to cover the expenses of a family. If men and women can work to build one another up and provide for a family, our world could be a better place to live.

So it is important for husbands and fathers to know the rights that are put in place for their wife and daughters. Females aught not to have to "go it alone," when it comes to getting their fair share of the pie. Men, should then help the females in his life to bust through that flimsy film of inequality that besets his female family members because men want to live well, too. If his wife isn’t earning what she is entitled to, then his life is just as hard as hers. If his daughter isn’t earning what she is entitled to, then when her father gets old, she won’t be able to take care of him like she would want to.

Unequal pay hurts families, and Obama expressed this very thought yesterday during the debate. He is about doing something more to make a real difference in the lives of Americans, not the same ol, same ol hardships that Romney is proposing.