I was reading about social security on NOW's website and came across this staggering little gem:
The cumulative effect of sex-based wage discrimination is that women reach retirement age short-changed by hundreds of thousands of dollars that should have been available to them for retirement savings and investments. The Institute for Women's Policy Research estimated the impact of sex-based pay description over a 15 year time frame. Taking into account women's lower work hours and their years with zero earnings, the study found that women workers in their prime earning years, 26 to 59, make a total of only 38% of what men are paid. Across the 15 years (1983-1998), the average prime age working woman earned only $273, 592 while the average working man earned $722,693 (1999 dollars). A shocking difference!
So, day-to-day it's 77%, but over a lifetime it falls to 38%. So much to look forward to!
Fortunately, Obama's on it. After the jump you will find an excerpt from a response letter from Obama on fair pay and links to blogs I've done on rights and equality for women. (I highly recommend reading the excerpt--it is extremely education as far as understanding what each legislation does. Gives some insight into how the gov't is working for us! :) )
Excerpt from message from Obama regarding fair pay:
The Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963 amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to prohibit employers from paying lower wages to female employees for work that required equal skill, effort and responsibility. The FLSA exempts some jobs from EPA coverage, and the EPA makes exceptions for wage differentials based on merit or seniority. There are many who believe that because of exceptions and loopholes that can be exploited by employers, these anti-discrimination laws do not go far enough towards mandating equal pay for women employees. To address this problem, the Senate is currently considering two pieces of legislation: the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 766) and the Fair Pay Act (S. 1087). The Paycheck Fairness Act provides equal pay for jobs that are comparable but not identical. The bill allows individuals to sue for fair wages and to receive punitive and compensatory damages – not just back pay. The bill clarifies acceptable reasons for differences in pay and closes loopholes in the EPA by putting the burden on employers to prove that wage gaps between men and women are caused by something other than sex. The bill also requires the Department of Labor to reinstate equal pay activities and investigatory enforcement tools for cases of gender discrimination, which have been eliminated under the Bush Administration. The Fair Pay Act prohibits wage discrimination based on sex, race and national origin by requiring employers to provide equal pay for work of equal value whether or not the jobs are the same. The legislation specifically addresses equal pay for women working in female-dominated jobs equivalent in skills, effort, responsibilities and working conditions to jobs dominated by men. In general, while these bills adhere to current equal work standards of the EPA, they would reform the procedures and remedies for enforcing the law. I am proud to cosponsor both the Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, and will discuss this issue with my colleagues on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. I am also a cosponsor of S.J . Res. 10, a constitutional amendment providing equal rights to men and women. I hope Congress will take whatever legislative action is needed to enforce the requirements of the Equal Pay Act and ensure equal rights for women. Additionally, I am an original cosponsor of the Fair Pay Restoration Act (S. 1843), introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), to overturn the Supreme Court's recent 5-4 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company , which undermined the basic protection against pay discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The decision also undermines pay discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The bill would restore the clear intent of Congress that workers must have a reasonable time to file a pay discrimination claim after they become victims of discriminatory compensation.
key votes summary from NOW (National Organization for Women)
list of bills
women's reproductive health
position on roe v. wade
obama on women's issues - links
supreme court & reproductive rights
Women for Obama (positions page)
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