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Fact Sheets

Fair Pay for Women Requires Increasing the Minimum Wage and Tipped Minimum Wage

October 04, 2013

Each year, millions of workers are paid the minimum wage and rely on these wages to support themselves and their families.  But the federal minimum wage hasn't increased since 2009 and the tipped minimum cash wage hasn't increased since 1991. Raising the federal minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage is vital for women, who made up about two-thirds of all workers who earned minimum wage or less in 2012. 

Women and Social Security

October 04, 2013

Social Security benefits are especially important to women—and women’s average benefits are just $12,700 per year. The proposed cuts to Social Security are cuts that women and families cannot afford. Check out this this fact sheet to learn more key facts on the impact of Social Security on women and their families.

Higher State Minimum Wages Promote Fair Pay for Women

October 02, 2013

Raising the minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage are important steps towards closing the wage gap for women.

Supreme Court Preview: 2013-2014 Term

October 02, 2013
During the 2013-2014 Term, the Supreme Court will review several cases that concern legal rights of importance to women—including access to abortion, equal opportunity in education, protection against housing discrimination, and the ability to use the Equal Protection Clause to challenge discrimination in public employment. In addition, the Court will review an important case involving the President’s ability to fill vacancies on a body that protects workers. Finally, the Court may decide whether for-profit businesses can refuse to provide employee insurance coverage for contraceptives based on asserted religious objections. The decisions in these cases may have a significant impact on women’s rights in all of these important arenas.

The House-Passed Continuing Resolution Would Let Bosses Make Their Women Employees Health Decisions

September 30, 2013

Late Saturday night, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government open only if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is delayed for a year and only if bosses are allowed to make their female employees’ health decisions. The House bill singles out women’s health care for this interference.

FAQ About the Wage Gap

September 20, 2013

The typical American woman who works full time, year round was still paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to her male counterpart in 2012.1  For women of color, the gaps are even larger. This document provides details about the wage gap measure that the Census Bureau and the National Women’s Law Center use, factors contributing to the wage gap, and how to close the gap.

FAQs about the Census Bureau’s Official Poverty Measure

September 19, 2013

Each year, the Census Bureau releases data on poverty and income in the United States, and the National Women’s Law Center analyzes these data to provide a picture of how women and their families are faring. The following frequently asked questions take a closer look at what the Census Bureau numbers tell us—and don’t tell us—about poverty.

Poverty Rates by State, 2012

September 19, 2013

This table summarizes the poverty rates among different groups in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Wage Gap is Stagnant in the Last Decade

September 19, 2013

New data from 2012 show that the typical woman still earns only 77 cents for each dollar the typical man earns.  Learn more about the numbers in this fact sheet.

Wage Gap: State Rankings 2012

September 19, 2013

This table shows the gender wage gaps in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.