GAP. For some, it is simply a department store offering a variety of practical clothing. However, for most, this word describes the pay inequality and discrimination they experience at the hands of their workplace. In the United States, women earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. With current inflation and high taxes, women simply remain unable to advance in the economic world. For example, men perceive women in such a way that they would refuse a job, simply to give it to a man with equal or lesser qualifications. Additionally, employers believe that women need to take a lot of time off to fulfill their family responsibilities. Not to mention, the media portrays women in a negative way and leads society to believe that women are incompetent, which. Current equal pay policy has narrowed the gap, but has not narrowed it. The Equal Pay Act report describes that "The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was the first in a series of major federal and state laws that had a profound impact on employment opportunities and women's earnings over the next century and laid the foundation for women's entry into the paid workforce at unprecedented levels” (The White House 4). Although this law was implemented and women made progress in the workforce, it was not very effective in reducing the wage gap. Women still do not earn the same wages as men, and the law has been in effect for 52 years. When families or individuals are at or below the poverty line, they do not receive the government assistance they need and should receive. In the study by Son and Bauer, mothers were eligible for government assistance, but they did not necessarily receive it. Government financial assistance includes child care subsidies, food stamps, or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) grants (109). The aid that is supposed to be in action fails to help these women. However, the government is not doing an adequate job of ensuring these women are taken care of. The Equal Pay Act has improved the pay gap, but when women remain powerless due to lack of government assistance, they have no choice but to work more if