ICYMI: Democratic Women’s Caucus Rallies for Equal Pay Day
**WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***
Washington, DC– ICYMI, on Friday, the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) hosted a press conference marking March 14th as Equal Pay Day, the approximate day that women’s earnings catch up to men’s earning from the previous year.
DWC Chair Lois Frankel (FL-22) was joined by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Kathy Manning, Rep. Shontel Brown, Rep. Gwen Moore, Rep. Jahana Hayes, and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, as well as Director of the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor, Wendy Chun-Hoon, and former assistant coach of the Washington Spirit, KJ Spisak.
“This year, a woman had to work an additional 64 days just to earn what a man earned last year—and this gap is much worse for women of color. And yet there is no discount for paying your rent, buying your food, or making your car payment just because you’re a woman,” said DWC Chair Frankel. “That’s just not fair. And it’s why Democrats are putting people over politics to ensure that all women are paid what they deserve.”
At the press conference, the DWC also received a question from a young girl in the audience: “Why did the men make it so the ladies have less pay?”
In response, Rep. Shontel Brown said, “In this institution called Congress, in it’s centuries of history, there have been roughly 12,000 representatives—and of those 12,000, only about 350 have been women. … So now that we keep growing our numbers, we are going to make the change that is not only necessary, but is expected, for us to live up to America’s promise—so we have equal pay for equal work!”
At the press conference, the members made clear that Democrats will continue to put people over politics and fight to end wage discrimination and close the wage gap once and for all. They emphasized the importance of building an economy that works for women, including by finally passing paid family and medical leave, ensuring access to affordable child care and home care, and increasing wages for caregiving jobs that are disproportionately held by women. The members also made clear they will not stop pushing until they pass Rep. DeLauro’s Paycheck Fairness Act, common-sense legislation to increase accountability and transparency to ensure all workers are paid fairly.
On average, women (including part-time and seasonal workers) earn just 77 cents for every dollar paid to men (for full time, year-round working women, the wage gap is 84 cents on the dollar). The gap exists in every state, regardless of geography, occupation, or education. This gap is far worse for women of color—with Black women earning only 64 cents compared to white men, Latina women earning only 54 cents, Native American women earning only 51 cents, and Asian American and Pacific Islander women earning only 80 cents. The wage gap is also worse for moms, who earn only 62 cents on the dollar compared to working dads. In the last two decades, the pay gap has not markedly improved—and the pandemic posed a barrier to progress, in particular for women of color.
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