The average woman in America had to work until today to earn what the average man earned last year. It’s ridiculous that it’s 2020 and this is still happening — that’s why Democrats have been fighting for equal pay.
Tag: gender inequality
Senate Inaction on Paycheck Fairness Harms Women
Under current federal law, it is illegal to pay women less than men for equal work. And yet, the gender wage gap still exists, and the persistent lack of equal pay is one piece of the puzzle. It is an issue that affects women at all levels, in all types of jobs, across race, ethnicity, and other factors. This includes women in high profile roles, such as the current World Cup champions, to roles behind the scenes, like clerical workers and teachers.
The gender wage gap is caused by a number of differing elements, including some that can be measured. But a sizable portion of the wage gap—around 38 percentby some estimates—cannot be explained by measurable differences between genders. Many researchers hypothesize that this unexplained portion, along with at least some of the other observable differences, are attributable to gender discrimination.
Tackling the gender wage gap
Reducing the gender wage gap requires a lasting, comprehensive solution that addresses the different factors that drive the gap, including discrimination. The Equal Pay Act of 1963, enacted more than 50 years ago, established the core principle of “equal pay for equal work” to root out entrenched pay discrimination that consistently denied women fair wages. But, over time, the courts have narrowed the law’s reach, making it harder to hold employers accountable for discriminatory practices, even as the gender wage gap has persisted.
White House Women Face Bigger Gender Pay Gap Than The National Average
The following article by Sofia Lotto Persio of Newsweek was posted on the National Memo website July 5, 2017:
Women working in U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House earn less than men on average, according to new data.The White House released salary information of its 377 staffers on June 30 in line with a Congressional rule dating back to 1995. The data revealed that the White House has a wider gender pay gap than the national average.
The average gender pay gap in the U.S. in 2016 was 18.1 percent, meaning that for every dollar earned by a man, a woman earned 81.9 cents, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Continue reading “White House Women Face Bigger Gender Pay Gap Than The National Average”
The Big Difference Between Women and Men’s Earnings After College
More College Degrees, Lower Wages
The following article by Antoinette Flores was posted September 13, 2016, on the American Progress website:
A college education may be called the great equalizer, but when it comes to the gender wage gap, it still has some ways to go. Among federal financial aid recipients, working women’s earnings 10 years after they first enrolled in college are lower than working men’s earnings only six years after enrolling at public and private nonprofit four-year colleges.
This finding comes from a Center for American Progress analysis of data released with the College Scorecard, an online consumer choice tool updated by the U.S. Department of Education last fall that contains information on institutions of higher education. In particular, the scorecard includes the first comprehensive look at students’ mean earnings by institution and gender based on the year they first enrolled in college. Obtained through a data match with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, this information provides a robust picture of how quickly the gender wage gap materializes and grows after college. Continue reading “The Big Difference Between Women and Men’s Earnings After College”
To Fight Inequality, Support Women and Families
The Center for American Progress held a seminar on this important topic late last month: