It’s 2015 and women aren’t treated equally. And before you complain about hearing too many angry feminists scream about gender equality, take moment to stop and think- if America listened the first time we rose our voice about these issues, maybe there wouldn’t be so much complaint.

In 2013, a study was done to find that women made 78 cents for every dollar a man makes, in the same jobs and companies. What makes the woman’s work worth less than the man’s? Though women do make the same amount in some occupations, this is not true for the majority of jobs. Many major publications have addressed this as well. But politicians continue to deny equal pay bills.

Some make the claim that women make less because they tend to work in jobs that are lower paying. If this were to be true, it would be because of the stigma girls live with from the moment they’re born. Instead of compliments on how clever or smart something we do is, the only type of flattery we receive are ones related to looks. We’re set on a path of domestic chores and caring for children instead of being given the opportunity to have the impact that so many men have had. How can a girl ever value her intelligence or self worth when she believes her only self value lies in her physical image? How can she be expected to do something that makes use of her other traits such as her brain, rather than her body?

The answer is that many women don’t find much self worth, nor do they break away from the jobs they’re expected to do. And this idea is fueled by many products that are marketed to men. Drinks such as Dr. Pepper have come up with the idea of branding certain lines to being “too good” or “too strong” for women. The cause of this type of marketing is men subconsciously thinking they are better than women, and going on to treat them that way.

There’s nothing wrong with being female. Remember to value the women in your life for more than just their looks. Remind yourself that they are your equals, and not anything less.