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Statement

MomsRising Marks Latina Equal Pay Day, Calls for Immediate Action to Close the Wage Gap for Latinas

November 2, 2017
Maternal Health, Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Today, November 2, is Latina Equal Pay Day — a day marking how far into 2017 Latinas in the United States must work to earn as much as a white man earned in 2016 alone. Women of color and moms are hit hardest by the wage gap, with Latinas making 54 cents for every dollar paid to a white man and Latina mothers making just 46 cents for every dollar paid to white fathers.
 
MomsRising, a national organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families, argue that this incredibly large pay gap, the highest in the nation, hurts women, families and our national economy, and aims to use Latina Equal Pay Day to highlight the urgent need for action to close the wage gap for Latinas.
 
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising.org, issued the following statement commemorating Latina Equal Pay Day:
 
“You may have heard the stat that, despite the fact that women make up half the workforce and earn more college degrees than men, women on average still only earn 80 cents on the dollar. But the fact is that stat only tells part of the story. The wage gap for mothers and women of color is much worse. In fact, the average Latina earns only 54 cents on the dollar compared to white men and Latina moms earn just 45 cents on the dollar compared to white dads. As we mark Latina Equal Pay Day today, it is critical that we recognize the dangerous pay gap between Latina workers and their white male counterparts.
 
“Across industries, Latina women and mothers are being left in the dust by a system that ensures they have to spend decades doing the same quality of work longer than a white, non-Hispanic man in order to catch up to an equal paycheck.
 
“It is time for the United States to face the facts that have been proven time and time again: when mothers and women of color do better in the workforce, the entire nation does better. We cannot sit back and watch as an extreme pay gap holds back both Latinas and their families and our national economy too. Right now, Latinas’ earnings just aren’t cutting it. The ability to take care of our families is something that each and every American deserves.
 
“The good news is that solutions are possible. We can close the wage gap. Studies show that passing family economic security policies — like paid family and medical leave, affordable childcare, paid sick days, and a living wage — all help lower the wage gap. In addition, pay transparency and non-discrimination policies help close the wage gap too. Momentum is growing for these policies and together we can raise all boats. We will soon have a new President and Congress and they MUST work together to close the wage gap and ensure that we are no longer forced to mark another ‘Equal Pay Day’ again.”
 
In commemoration of Latina Equal Pay Day, MomsRising’s more than 1 million members in the US will take part in actions on Twitter and social media calling attention to the pay gap and urging immediate action to ensure that Latinas receive equal pay for equal work. Follow the actions on Twitter with the hashtag #LatinaEqualPay.
 

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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.