“Everyone seems to be at a loss to explain the difference, including the governor . But one thing is clear: Gould is not the only woman experiencing the negative impact of the pay gap. The problem goes beyond both state lines and career choice. From the corner office to the corner store, hard-working women often take home paychecks that are less than fair.

And with the secrecy shrouding paychecks, many women don’t even know that they’re victims. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research , 61% of employees in the private sector are either discouraged or prohibited from discussing wages and benefits. Besides, shouldn’t we assume that almost 50 years after President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, paycheck fairness would have caught up with the law?”