By age 65, the average woman will have lost $431,000 over her working lifetime because of the earnings gap. For women of color, that disparity is even wider.
This persistent wage discrimination is not only an affront to our founding principles of equality, it is a significant drag on our economy. If women received the same pay as their male counterparts, our economy would produce $447.6 billion in additional income.
President Obama has taken action to close this gap, starting with the first bill he signed into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This legislation gives employees the time necessary to confirm wage discrimination and to challenge continuing pay discrimination without being penalized if they aren’t initially aware of the discrimination.
The President also took executive action to strengthen enforcement of equal pay laws:
- An Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from retaliating against employees who choose to discuss their compensation, thereby helping workers discover potential violations of equal pay laws and seek appropriate remedies.
- A Presidential Memorandum that establishes new regulations requiring federal contractors to submit data on employee wages that includes data by sex and race. The Department of Labor will use this data to encourage compliance with equal pay laws.
But the President cannot act alone. Congress must help make equal pay a reality by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would ensure that the standards President Obama is putting forward by his executive action apply to all employers across the country. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans have already blocked action on this legislation three times and Republicans continue to block action in the House.
Women have made significant strides over the past 94 years, becoming leaders in almost every facet of American life. But there is more work to do to ensure that women receive the equal rights, equal treatment, and equal opportunity they deserve to reach their potential. Because when women succeed, America succeeds.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be respectful. These are my opinions and I realize not everyone agrees with me. That does not mean we need to get mean and nasty with each other. Tell yourself your Mother is the moderator and she will read it first, Perhaps with Mom in charge we can all keep it in check.
[* There is no moderation at this point. I trust us all to be adults.]