Women are still treated unfairly in the workplace. Wage disparity persists, and women still earn, on average, only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. If the wage gap was eliminated, annual family incomes would increase by $4,000--and the poverty rate would be cut in half. Paycheck fairness for our country's working women would in of itself act as an economic stimulus package.
For all of these reasons (and more), we must strengthen laws against wage discrimination. But don't just take my word for it --hear what Lilly Ledbetter herself thinks we can do to keep women in the workforce from being discriminated against:
"We need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act....The bill would empower women to negotiate for equal pay, create stronger incentives for employers to follow the law, and strengthen federal outreach and enforcement efforts. It would also strengthen penalties for equal pay violations.
[...] "One of the most important aspects of the Paycheck Fairness Act is a provision that would prohibit retaliation against workers who ask about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages to co-workers. This would have been particularly helpful to me, because Goodyear prohibited my colleagues and me from talking about our wages. This policy delayed my discovery of the pay inequities between my male counterparts and me by -- literally -- decades."
It's high past the time for women to have the same rights, the same opportunities and the same freedom to pursue their dreams as men do. If we don't get this legislation passed, our daughters could end up having to fight for fair treatment and pay in the workplace--just like their mothers and grandmothers.
The Paycheck Fairness Act is now pending in the Senate. Click here to find out if your Senator is a co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182). If they're not? Take action now and tell your Senators to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.
