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Statement

The Paycheck Fairness Act Is Essential for an Equitable Recovery from the Pandemic

January 28, 2021
Workplace Justice, Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of leaders of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the introduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2021 in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate today:

“Moms and women of color have been disproportionately harmed by the COVID pandemic’s economic fallout. We simply cannot turn the economy around and build back better unless we end the pervasive undervaluing of women’s work and pass policies that address and root out the compounding effects of ableism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia in hiring and wage discrimination. In the United States today, Black women are paid just 63 cents, Native American women just 60 cents, and Latinas just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. Moms experience additional wage hits, with moms of color being paid as little as 45 cents for every dollar paid to dads. These unconscionable wage gaps are harming both families and our economy – and they must end. 

“The Paycheck Fairness Act is a simple, very needed, essential step for a just recovery and path forward. Its speedy passage should be a no-brainer for the new Congress. By strengthening penalties for wage discrimination and promoting pay transparency, it would be a huge, long-overdue win for moms, families, businesses and our economy.”

--Statement of Sara Alcid, Senior Campaign Director, Workplace Justice, MomsRising 

“Every day, wage discrimination causes real and devastating harm to women and the families and communities who depend on their incomes. Wage gaps make it harder for women to put food on the table, maintain safe housing, afford child care, access health care, save for their children’s education and their own retirement, and more. Simply put, we cannot have a just recovery without taking bold action toward pay equity and that starts with passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, in addition to the Raise the Wage Act, which would give nearly 1 in 3 women – the majority of whom are women of color – a long overdue raise by establishing a $15/hr baseline minimum wage.

“By helping stop wage discrimination, the Paycheck Fairness Act would help put money in the pockets of working families, provide a much-needed boost to our economy, and help combat structural sexism. America’s moms urge Congress to pass this legislation quickly so President Biden can sign it into law, building on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act – the first bill President Obama signed into law in 2009.”

-- Statement of Ruth Martin, Vice President and Chief Workplace Justice Officer, MomsRising

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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.