Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This June 10th, NOW recognizes both the 56th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act as well as Mom’s Equal Pay Day. While the Equal Pay Act helped to narrow the wage gap, the data still demonstrates that women face pay discrimination, especially if they are mothers.  

Mom’s Equal Pay Day recognizes that being a mother is a greater indicator than gender when it comes to wage disparities. Even as more and more mothers become the breadwinners for their family, mothers are still only paid 69¢ for every dollar a father is paid.  

Closing this wage gap would mean that women’s poverty rate is cut in half, On average, women employed full time in the U.S. are losing an astonishing combined total of almost $900 billion every year due to the wage gap. This vital additional income could be used towards childcare, healthcare, and education ー all important aspects to raising a happy, healthy family.  

The wage gap widens for Black, Latino, and Native American moms who are paid 54¢, 46¢, and 48¢ respectively, for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic dads. Additionally, data on undocumented immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ community, and women with disabilities is not known.  

On this Mom’s Equal Pay Day, NOW strongly advocates for the Paycheck Fairness Act which updates the Equal Pay Act and was recently passed by the House of Representatives. We urge legislation which requires equal pay for “substantially similar” work be adopted. NOW is also committed to achieving work equity by supporting movements to gain access to paid leave, paid sick days, affordable childcare, affordable healthcare and other important protections needed by working parents.  

It is time that women stop being punished for being mothers. We must end disparities in wage equity now.  

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joe Biden likes to say that he “gets it,” but he’s way out of touch when it comes to the Hyde Amendment. His shocking announcement that he still supports Hyde is unacceptable and unsupportable.

He needs to renounce his past support for the Hyde Amendment and put forward policies to correct the damage it’s done to women – especially those enrolled in Medicaid, low-income women, young women, and women of color hit hardest by this restriction.  If he cannot do this, he should consider leaving the race….the girls and women of our nation deserve better.

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt and Missouri NOW President Freda Mckee:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The draconian abortion ban signed into law by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson would criminalize abortions performed during or after the eighth week of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest.  As we’ve seen in other states where anti-abortion junk science has prevailed over constitutional protections and reproductive rights, Missouri’s ban will be challenged in court.

Ordinarily, that would mean a legal freeze on enacting these immoral restrictions while the appeal is underway, but now we know that Missouri has no intention of following the law. Missouri’s health department refused to renew the license of Missouri’s only remaining clinic performing abortions for unspecified reasons, citing “possible deficiencies” that they’ve told Planned Parenthood could lead to criminal referrals against doctors. Only a last-minute judicial ruling, rooted in legal precedent and constitutional norms, temporarily prevented the illegal and immoral closing of Missouri’s last remaining clinic performing abortions.

Gov. Parson and the anti-abortion extremists who’ve hijacked state politics have blown up the legal system, ignored the appeal process and hijacked democracy by attempting to unilaterally shut down Missouri’s last abortion clinic.  This outrageous step would have made Missouri the first state without an abortion clinic since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

If the extremists have their way, supporters of reproductive rights will have nothing left to appeal.  The clinic will be gone before the next court hearing and women of Missouri will suffer, especially women of color and women living in poverty.  Their lives will be further endangered and they will face an undue burden when trying to access their constitutional right to safe, legal and affordable abortion care.

NOW sees through this transparent attempt to circumvent the law and impose the anti-abortion crowd’s version of religious law on women. What’s next–Handmaid’s Tale dress codes and scarlet letters?  Thought police?

Missouri’s end run around our legal and reproductive rights must not stand.

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745