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Statement

STATEMENT OF KRISTIN ROWE-FINKBEINER, CEO and Executive Director, MomsRising, On Introduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act

January 23, 2013
Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Women's Leader Calls Paycheck Fairness Act Crucial to Family Economic Security
“Today, on average, women earn 77 cents to a man's dollar. And this disparity is even greater for moms, single moms and women of color. In fact, one study found that moms make only 73 cents to a man's dollar and single moms make only about 60 cents to a man's dollar. Women of color experience increased wage hits on top of that.
 
“The newly reintroduced Paycheck Fairness Act could help bring all employers into the 21st Century, by penalizing employers for equal pay violations, prohibiting retaliation against employees who ask about wage practices, empowering women to negotiate for equal pay and strengthening equal pay laws.
 
“It's time for our nation to catch up to modern realities. Women are half of the entire paid labor force for the first time in history, and three-quarters of mom are in the labor force, yet wage and hiring discrimination is still the norm. This bill is crucial to family economic security. Increasingly, families need two wage earners to make ends meet, and the struggle to feed and house a family can be even greater for single moms.
 
“When moms experience wage discrimination, their families also suffer. Not acting to right the wrong of wage discrimination is not only callous, not only devalues women's important contributions in workplaces, but also negatively affects our overall economy.
 
“At his inauguration, President Obama said, ‘Our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.’ We agree. And now, we are urging all MomsRising members to reach out to their Members of Congress to support the Paycheck Fairness Act and help us reach the end of our journey.” 
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.