It is unbelievable that women still earn only a percentage of what men earn for comparable work.  In the 21st century, women earn 72 cents for every dollar a man earns.  In communities of color, the gap is wider: black women earn 64 cents for each dollar and Latinas earn only 55 cents for each dollar a man earns.  

According to these numbers, the average woman must work an additional 12 weeks a year to make up the disparity in income.  The pay gap has a significant impact on entire families; it is estimated that American families lose $200 billion each year.  Both the AFL-CIO and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research report that, if women were paid the same as comparable men, their family incomes would rise by nearly 6 percent.  Poverty rates would drop by more than 50 percent.  

Unequal pay is unjustified for equal work.  It hurts individuals, families, and communities.  We must do better to support hard working women and their families.  We must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act; it is the only right and fair thing to do.