Florida NOW

Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON, D.C.—This February 11th, NOW recognizes Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day. There are persistent wage disparities between AAPI women and white men, as well as within AAPI communities. Far too many AAPI women are not receiving equal pay for equal work, which prevents them from supporting themselves and their families and investing in their future.  

Depending on the industry, women in AAPI communities are paid as low as 50 cents to every dollar made by white men holding the same job. On average, AAPI women are paid 79 cents to every dollar made AAPI men. These inequalities simply should not exist – there should be no difference in pay for two people in the same occupation, regardless of gender, race or ethnicity.  

Gaps vary by industry as well – AAPI women who are hand laborers, servers and physicians make 24 to 26 cents less than their white male counterparts. The National Women’s Law Center reports that the AAPI wage gap is worsened for women 65 and over, mothers who work full time, and women in urban areas. At all levels of educational attainment, AAPI women are consistently paid less than white men in the same occupation. 

NOW fiercely supports legislation such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would help to reduce wage discrimination, and urges our leaders to look at systemic patterns of sex or race/ethnicity-based pay discrimination. Today, we stand with AAPI women across the nation in demand of pay equity. 

Contact

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

Media Statement the National Organization for Women:

Washington, D.C. – In honor of Black History Month, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is proud to present the Racial Justice Summit and Congressional Briefing: Addressing the Intersects of Gender, Health, Economics, Violence and Race, sponsored by U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore. Special guest speakers will cover topics including immigration rights, maternal mortality, voter suppression and economic justice. 

What: NOW’s Racial Justice Summit and Congressional Briefing
When: Monday, February 10, 2020; 9:00 am-5:00 pm Eastern
Where: U.S. Capitol Building- Rayburn House Office Building, Rooms 2044 & 2045 streamed live at: https://www.facebook.com/NationalNOW/
Who: Joining NOW President Toni Van Pelt and Vice President Christian F. Nunes are:

Invited Speakers 

U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, 

Recipient, NOW Award of Distinction for Intersectional Feminism   

U.S. Congresswoman Sharice Davids  

U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva 

U.S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley 

U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib 

U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters
 

Special Guest Speaker 

Dr. Gary L. Ford Jr., Author and Professor 

Panelists: 

Ashley Allison, The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights  

Barbara R. Arnwine, Transformative Justice Coalition

Amy Hinojosa, MANA, A National Latina Organization  

Marcia Johnson–Blanco, Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Voting Rights Project  

Virginia Kase, League of Women Voters  

Ola Ojewumi, PPMW DC Advocates Council 

Kevin Powell, Author and Civil Rights Activist  

Dariely Rodriguez, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law 

Reyna Taylor, National Council for Behavioral Health 

Kenyette Tisha Barnes, Co-Founder of #MuteRKelly 

Additional Speakers to be Announced.  

  
Media: Due to limited space media RSVPs are requested, please contact press@now.org.                                                                                   

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Contact

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

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt and Vice President Christian F. Nunes:

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Each February, the National Organization for Women commemorates Black History Month to honor the lives of African Americans who have shaped our nation and its culture. Our country and our communities would not be the same without the efforts of people of color, who work tirelessly in the face of oppression.

African American women have been fierce advocates for gender equality for centuries, from suffragists Anna Julia Cooper and the founders of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to civil rights leaders Ida B. Wells and Sojourner Truth. In more recent years we’ve witnessed history as Nevada State Senator Pat Spearman kicked off the modern Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) movement and Virginia Delegates Jennifer D. Carroll Foy and Hala Ayala championed the ERA in Virginia, which just became the historic 38th state to ratify.

Thanks to these women and many others, progress has been made, but we must never underestimate the insidious racism that continues to plague our country in the form of discrimination in employment, health care, housing, the justice system and voting rights. That is why NOW is co-hosting our Racial Justice Summit with U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI) on Feb.10th, which aims to create conversation about the intersection of gender, health, economics, violence and race.

Black History Month highlights the importance of intersectional feminism. Black lesbian civil rights activist and feminist Audre Lorde famously said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are different from my own.” As firm believers of this approach to advocacy, NOW is committed to breaking down the barriers to gender and racial equality that have restricted women of color for centuries.

Contact

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