Women seeking equal pay
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before — women in this country are paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man is paid, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This despite the fact that the Equal Pay Act was passed way back in 1963. And for all the wonderful progress we’ve made as a nation in the last 50 years, here it is, 2013, and women still make considerably less than their male counterparts for working the exact same jobs.
Honestly, I wish I didn’t have to write this letter again — as I did last year and the year before — but here we are. That’s why, on Tuesday, April 9, thousands of women from across the United States will join in a national day of action against unfair pay called Equal Pay Day.
Here in Pittsburgh, we are planning a noon rally in Market Square with speakers, food and a renewed commitment to bridging the wage gap in the years to come. (If you can’t make it into the city, additional Equal Pay Day rallies will be held in Greensburg and Uniontown.)
At a time when America’s economy is facing a prolonged downturn, every penny counts! Economist Evelyn Murphy, president and founder of The WAGE Project, estimates that the wage gap costs the average American full-time woman worker between $700,000 and $2 million over the course of her lifetime.
As a working woman, I am extremely concerned about pay inequity not only for myself but for my family, my community and the local economy. Fair pay takes real change!
We can make a difference. Please, take an hour out of your day to stand up for the women in your life. Join The Women and Girls Foundation on April 9. And guys — we hope you’ll come.
Tara Simmons, Vice president, Women and Girls Foundation
Gina Jones Co-chair, MyOWN Campaign
Denice Robinson Co-founder, MyOWN Campaign President, Masontown BPW