Final answer:
The idea that employers should pay equal wages to men and women in similar jobs is known as 'equal pay for equal work,' which is mandated by the Equal Pay Act of 1963. However, the wage gap between genders persists, with women earning less than men for comparable work.
Step-by-step explanation:
The doctrine that employers should be required to pay equal wages to men and women in the same or similar jobs is the principle of equal pay for equal work. This principle is embodied in the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which aimed to address wage disparities between genders. Despite the presence of this law, the gender wage gap still persists. As of a report by the White House in 2013, women made only 77 cents to a dollar earned by men, and by 2020, this gap had only narrowed slightly to 81 cents on the dollar.
Discussions around equal pay also involve the concept of comparable worth, which suggests that individuals should be compensated equally for work that requires comparable skills, responsibilities, and effort, irrespective of gender or the specifics of the job held. Despite the progress made by these anti-discrimination laws, there is still an evident need for continued efforts and possible additional governmental action to bridge the remaining wage gap and ensure that pay equality is achieved as an economic right.