On Aug. 26, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote. June 10, 1963 marks the date Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, making it illegal for an employer to pay a woman less than what her male counterpart would earn. During the Reagan presidency, Sandra Day O’Connor was appointed as the first female Supreme Court judge. And just last month, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the military would now lift the ban restricting women in combat roles, providing 230,000 new posts to female soldiers.

When looking at women’s rights this way, it seems as though our society has drawn up an equalized playing field for both genders, in which both have equal opportunity and compensation. Suggesting that the general public has revoked its chauvinistic ideals and is gradually making its way toward an egalitarian utopia; these laws and amendments falsely lead us to believe that the human mindset has changed. New legislation draws an illusion of a smooth and even ground, but the fact of the matter is, women still aren’t receiving the recompense they lawfully deserve.

According to the American Association of University Women, the average male salary is $41,918 while the average female’s salary is 18 percent below that at $35,296. Broken down, that means for every dollar a man earns, a woman with the same qualifications earns a meager 82 cents. This large pay difference is often attributed to working hours and career preferences, but even after taking those factors into consideration, a woman with the same qualifications as a male counterpart is still paid seven percent less.

At the end of the day, these liberal laws that condemn sexism and promote equality mean absolutely nothing. Nothing can actually be achieved until society as a whole changes its perspective. We have the laws, just not the passion and determination to execute them.

Take the activism of the military, for example. The new legislation lifted the ban that had restricted women from serving in small units directly involved in combat including infantry, artillery, armor and special operations units of 700 troops or less. Almost immediately after, opponents challenged female physical and emotional ability to endure such a position. I was reminded of the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century when anatomical features were used to downcast a woman’s ability to perform physically and mentally. Women in the 21st century are still facing the same attacks as centuries ago; the war for equality lives on, but many of us have lost the will to fight.

The women’s rights movement is nearing rock bottom. Sure, new laws are introduced to preserve so-called “equality,” but when it comes down to the basics, feminists, including myself, have just given up. We’ve fallen into the humdrum pattern of antiquity and have accepted injustice as a reality. Our tools—the laws—have already been implemented. All we need now is to fight for what we legally deserve. We need that desire to defend ourselves. So I urge all those who support equality to seize their chance. Before us we have the golden opportunity to not only change the world of today, but also the world of tomorrow. It’s our generation that can break free of the chains restricting our growth and success; people should be judged on talent and capability, not gender. Don’t let the powerful advantage of laws go to waste; apply them and seize what’s rightfully yours.

Maham Nadeem is a reporter for the HiLite. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach her at [email protected].