IWO Commemorates "Equal Pay Day" 2021
INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION (IWO) COMMEMORATES “EQUAL PAY DAY” March 24, 2021
The Independent Women’s Organization (IWO) notes that Wednesday, March 24 is Equal Pay Day – a day to which the average woman in the United States must work a year and 3 months to earn what men make on average in one year. This pay gap is worse in Louisiana, where women earn 72 cents to the dollar, and where Black women earn only 47 cents to the dollar an average White, non-Hispanic man earns.
In the breakdown of pay gaps for type of workplace, women in private for-profit Louisiana businesses do much worse at 64 cents to the dollar compared to local and state government, where women earn 92 cents to the dollar. The difference in public employment is generally attributed to pay transparency, and a specific protection from retaliation for talking about wages in public state employment was passed in Louisiana in 2013.
Mary Griggs, President – “I am proud to be the President of IWO, an organization that endorses candidates and supports legislation and policies to fight the discrimination and economic structures enabling this intolerable difference in wages. Pay inequity means many women struggle to support their families, to save to buy a home, and to retire with an income one can live on. Their lifetime losses add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost earnings“
Lisa Diggs, Vice President – “We must work harder than ever to change this situation, particularly in light of the disparate damage COVID-19 has wreaked on women, minorities and their families. The pandemic has forced women, many of them working frontline, low-wage jobs, out of the workforce due to challenges like unemployment, more demanding care-giving responsibilities, lack of paid sick and family leave, and the inability to afford child care.”
Ayame Dinkler, Recording Secretary – “We must build back a fairer society by tackling the root causes of inequality and intersecting forms of discrimination that hurt women. Women deserve equal pay and equal power, and to live without fear of harassment or violence in a society that does not discriminate based on gender, race, or national origin.”
Julie Schwam Harris, Advocacy Chair – “IWO supports law and policy change at the federal, state and local level. We support:
Equal pay for equal work that can best be achieved in transparent workplaces where women don’t fear retaliation for talking about their wages or being paid perpetually discriminatory wages because of salary history questions.
The difference in public employment is
Higher minimum wage since women make up about two thirds of the minimum and low wage workforce.
Paid sick and family leave so women who are the predominant caregivers in most families and the bread winners in more than ever can stay employed and fulfill other duties as well.
Funding child care assistance programs so women can afford to keep working and children will have access to quality care and education.”
How can you take part in Equal Pay Day?
As an employer, review your pay policies with a critical eye. It is important that all businesses and organizations make an effort to re-align their salaries and hiring practices to prevent even unintentional discrimination.
Contact your elected State and Federal legislators to ensure they support legislation addressing pay equity, including bills to stop pay secrecy and raise the minimum wage, and other policies that will end even unintentional discrimination.
Wear red representing how much longer women have to work to make the same as a man and use #EqualPayDay to share on social media.
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