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For Immediate Release: Monday, April 27, 2008
Contact: Adrienne Ammerman or Mary Robbins, 202-588-5180
EQUAL PAY DAY REMINDS US THAT THERE IS
MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
(Washington, D.C.) Tomorrow, Equal Pay Day, symbolizes the day in 2009 when the average woman’s wages will finally catch up with those paid to the average man in 2008. The National Women’s Law Center will join organizations across the country to honor the day as an important reminder of the persistent wage gap and the urgent need to take action to ensure that women can receive equal pay for equal work. Below is a statement from Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center:
“Today, more than 45 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women continue to be paid on average only 78 cents for every dollar paid to men. Women of color fare even worse. This wage gap persists across all levels of education, a wide spectrum of occupations and in every state in the country. For state-by-state information on how women continue to be short-changed in their pay and the economic challenges they face, visit: http://www.nwlc.org/fairpay/statefacts.html.
“The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, signed into law by President Obama in January, was a monumental achievement for women and for all workers. The law gave women back critical tools to challenge wage discrimination in court. But the Ledbetter Act is only the first step in moving toward true pay equity.
“The next step is to improve anti-discrimination protections by enacting the Paycheck Fairness Act, a key piece of legislation that will build on the Ledbetter bill, strengthen women’s ability to challenge pay inequality, and require the federal government to be more of a partner in preventing and battling wage discrimination. Among other things, the Paycheck Fairness Act will also close a significant loophole in the Equal Pay Act to allow for full compensation for sex-based wage discrimination. And Congress must also turn to the Fair Pay Act, which will address wage disparities in sex-segregated occupations.
“We applaud the House for passing both the Ledbetter Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. While the Senate deserves credit for passing the Ledbetter Act, it should join the House and promptly pass the Paycheck Fairness Act as well.
“Unfortunately, our country is far from realizing the promise of equal pay for equal work. Especially during these economically perilous times, we cannot afford to allow discrimination to continue to unfairly reduce women’s pay. This is a matter of sound economics, fundamental fairness, and urgent importance to women and their families.”
To speak with Marcia D. Greenberger contact Mary Robbins at 202-588-5180 or mrobbins@nwlc.org. For more information about the campaign for pay equity, visit www.nwlc.org/fairpay.
For state-by-state information about the wage gap and women’s economic situations, visit http://www.nwlc.org/fairpay/statefacts.html
For more information about the Paycheck Fairness Act visit http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/Broad_Paycheck_Fairness_Fact_Sheet.pdf
For information about Blog for Fair Pay Day, a coordinated effort for bloggers to join the conversation about the importance of equal pay for women, visit http://action.nwlc.org/BlogforFairPay
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