California to make equal pay for women

California on Tuesday adopted a bill aimed at ensuring equal pay between men and women, a measure considered among the strongest in the nation and applauded by Hollywood.

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The California Fair Pay Act was introduced by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson following a study that found that women earned about 84 cents for every dollar earned by men.

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The bill builds on existing legislation by prohibiting an employer from paying any employee less for substantially similar work rather than equal work.

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The bill was also hailed as a major breakthrough for women by several Hollywood actresses who had advocated in favour of wage equality.

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According to Forbes magazine, Hollywood's best paid actor, Robert Downey Jr., last year earned 80 million dollars, nearly 30 million more than Jennifer Lawrence, the best paid actress who earned $52 million dollars.

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The Washington, DC-based advocacy group National Partnership for Women and families, said Latina women in California earn 44 cents for every dollars earned by a white man while African-American women earn 64 cents for every dollars earned by a white man.

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The US federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour if the worker's employer covers their health insurance, and $8.25 per hour without medical coverage.