Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Judge Michael F. Stelzer of the Missouri Circuit Court in St. Louis issued a preliminary injunction allowing the only remaining clinic providing abortion care in the state to continue operating through June 21st. NOW celebrates this victory for abortion rights, which, at least temporarily,  prevents Missouri from becoming the first state in the nation without an abortion clinic since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Yet this ruling also exposes the constant threat that reproductive rights face in America today as abortion opponents attempt to strip away women’s constitutional right to safe, legal, affordable and accessible abortion care. Including Missouri, six states in the U.S. only have one abortion clinic, and they are all in danger of the kind of underhanded, bureaucratic tactics that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Gov. Mike Parson are trying to use to render Roe meaningless. This case serves as a reminder that legislative bans on abortion are only one of the anti-abortion ploys that NOW and other reproductive rights advocates contend with every day. We will remain vigilant in protecting the reproductive freedom of women in Missouri and around the country.

Contact

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

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