· April 8, 2014

Equal Pay Day

Today, April 8th, is Equal Pay Day.  This day symbolizes how far into 2014 an average American woman would have had to work to make the same amount the average man made in 2013. The pay gap between the genders persists. A recent report by the The Institute for Women’s Policy Research  shows that women still make 77 cents for every dollar men make. This gap is even greater for African American women, who make 64 cents for every dollar and for Latina women, who make 55 cents for every dollar men make. This gap is present even in jobs that are traditionally woman dominated. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, if change continues to progress at such  slow pace, it will take nearly 50 years, until 2058, for women to be paid the same amount of men. The Senate is set to vote on The Paycheck Fairness Act this week, were this bill to pass it could help women achieve equal pay faster. Amount other things, the bill would:

• require employers to show that differences in wages are based on factors other than gender;
• prohibit retaliation against workers who inquire about wage practices or disclose their own wages;
• allow for reasonable comparisons between employees to determine fair wages;
• strengthen penalties for equal pay violations.

Women across America deserve equal pay.