The brief argued that Philadelphia enacted the Wage Equity Ordinance in order to eliminate the systemic and costly gender wage gap and pay discrimination without harming businesses. It is a policy that acts on the persistent gender wage gap that continues to burden not only women, but families, communities, and the entire economy. By prohibiting employers from using applicants’ prior pay to determine compensation, the law could effectively remove discriminations that were justified by prior pay levels that do not reflect applicants’ skills and experience.