Equal Pay Day: Fairness for America's Women

That means in today's economy, when a mother earns less than her male colleagues, her family may need to sacrifice basic necessities and face greater economic insecurity. Over the course of a lifetime, income lost due to the wage gap puts women at a disadvantage when it comes to saving for a secure retirement or their ability to rely on retirement programs, which reduces their quality of life. According to the National Women's Law Center, the average Social Security benefit in 2011 was just $12,700 for women over 65, while men collected $16,700. In 2010, women 50 and over received just 56 cents for every dollar collected by men from pensions and annuities.