I’m flat out inspired. Teens in Washington State are coming forward, standing up, and speaking out for fair pay. Here’s what some of them have to say:

“Fair pay is extremely important to me as I start to think about my future. I’m starting to think about college and possible careers. My friends and I should be able to make the most out of our futures and have the same opportunity as everyone else. Women are worth more than spare change!" - Olivia, age 16

 

"I want to know that one day, all my hard work will pay off. I want to feel like I'm valued just as much as my male counterparts are in my future career. I want to give girls the opportunity to be whatever or whomever they want in this world." - Megan, age 18

"We have a responsibility to make sure people are treated and paid equally for equal work. There really isn't any excuse to not do so."- Connor, age 18

“Equal pay is a basic human right that can't be denied any longer.” - Lilly, age 17

These teens are rightly concerned. On average, according to the U.S. Census, women now make only 78 cents to a man’s dollar, with moms and women of color experiencing more extreme wage hits. And, to make matters worse, the Seattle area has one of the largest wage gaps in the nation: Women in the Seattle area are paid just 73 cents to a man's dollar. 

Olivia, Megan, Connor, Lilly, and over a dozen other teens are heading to our state capitol in Olympia this Monday for a hearing on the Equal Pay Opportunity Act, which will make it easier to identify and challenge practices that lead to the widespread unfair pay that women are experiencing now in Washington State.

*Can you back up Olivia, Megan, Connor, Lilly, and over a dozen other teens who are going to Olympia by signing onto this open letter to Washington State legislators urging them to move the Equal Pay Opportunity Act forward? 

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/WA_Fair_Pay/?source=blog

Your signature will have a big impact. In fact, your signature will be delivered directly to Washington State legislators on Monday by the teens, along with stories from women in Washington who have experienced unfair pay, and some delicious chocolate coins to remind our Washington leaders that women are worth more than spare change.

Have time to sign on? Just taking 5 seconds to click this link will help kids, teens, and women have brighter futures, while also helping our economy: 

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/WA_Fair_Pay/?source=blog

The economy? Yes, the economy! Fair pay isn’t just a women’s issue. We all lose out when women don't get equal pay for equal work. Raising women’s incomes to parity would boost our economy and save taxpayer funds by lowering the need for government programs and by putting money directly into our consumer-fueled economy. This would not be a small boost: The Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that U.S. GDP would grow by 3 percent if women were paid as much as men.

In fact, when women, who make three-quarters of purchasing decisions in our consumer-fueled economy, don't have funds to spend at local stores and in our communities, then our consumer-fueled economy suffers. Businesses lose out in other ways too: Studies show that the more women there are in corporate leadership, the higher the corporate profits.

Many myths are floating around about unfair pay that need busting. For instance, the wage gap isn't primarily women's fault for taking lesser jobs as some have insinuated. In fact, wage differences within the same occupation make up most of the pay gap between men and women. Claudia Goldin, a labor economist at Harvard University, calculated that after controlling for age, race, hours and education, women who are doctors and surgeons, for example, earn 71 percent of men's wages; women who are financial specialists make just 66 percent of what male financial specialists earn.

Another myth is that the Glass Ceiling has been broken. This is, sadly, not so. Despite the fact that 56 percent of college graduates are now women, and women now comprise 50 percent of the labor force, only 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. And speaking of college graduates, a recent study found that within a number of occupations, women already earn less than men earned just one year out of college—and the wage hits get worse over time. 

Our kids and teens are planning their futures now and it’s up to us to help open the doors to equality for them. Can you sign on this open letter now? 

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/WA_Fair_Pay/?source=blog

Times have changed, but we haven’t made the changes we need to ensure that women are paid more than spare change yet. In fact, our labor force is now 50% women for the first time in history, three-quarters of moms are now in the labor force (and half are primary breadwinners for their families), and yet unfair pay persists and hits moms and women of color the hardest. Believe it or not, motherhood is now a greater predictor of inequality than gender in the United States of America. Here are the numbers: While most women without children make 90 cents to a man’s dollar, mothers make only 73 cents, single mothers make about 60 cents and mothers of color earn as little as 54 cents to a man’s dollar. A full 81% of women have children by the time they’re forty-four years old, so this extra wage hit impacts most women.

It’s 2015. It’s long past time for equal pay for equal work. Our daughters, our teens, our families, and the women of our state and nation are worth more than spare change. Thank you for being a part of making that happen.

And please, after you sign on, take a moment to post this action link on Facebook, Tweet it out, and forward this email around: 

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/WA_Fair_Pay/?source=blog

The more people we have backing up these brave kids, the bigger the impact we’ll have together and the faster we’ll make change!