As modern society has made clear, women have the ability to perform with equal skill and success in virtually every endeavour engaged in by men -- including employment, athletics, academics and politics. Yet discrimination on the basis of sex has a long history in the United States, and its residual effects still operate to keep women's salaries lower and opportunities fewer in the employment realm. Although less common, men too can be subjected to unlawful sex discrimination. No matter what form it takes -- unequal pay, discriminatory job standards, or failure to promote -- numerous federal and state laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.