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NOW Applauds the House Passage of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization, Urges Action in the Senate

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives took vital action today to help victims of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence and stalking by voting to reauthorize the 2019 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA / H.R. 1585). NOW leaders in the states are working with their Senators to ensure that a companion bill is passed by the Senate as soon as possible. This is a critical next step in order to establish important improvements and secure stable funding for VAWA for the next five years.

The proposed reauthorization includes a provision to close a loophole in the original Act that allows convicted domestic abusers of dating partners to have access to firearms. Opposition to this from the National Rifle Association (NRA) is motivating certain members of Congress to OPPOSE or stall the bill. The NRA wants Congress to put the second amendment rights of abusers over the lives of the women and families who might die at their hands.

VAWA 2019 contains many important improvements that will benefit victims of violence around the country including:

  • Housing protections for survivors of sexual assault.
  • A new position at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address domestic violence.
  • Enhancements to the criminal justice response to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
  • Programs that help survivors gain and maintain economic independence.

VAWA 2019 now moves to the Senate. NOW expects bipartisan support and a vote for passage and nothing less. Constituents in every state will be watching to see which senators are willing to prioritize the health and safety of millions of women, men and their families over the influence of the NRA.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

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The Feminist Agenda Is Rising—When Will Women’s Pay?

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON — Today, April 2, is Equal Pay Day—marking the number of extra days into 2019 the average woman has to work to earn as much as men did in 2018. Last year, Equal Pay Day was calculated to occur on April 10—meaning that in 2019, women have improved the score by a mere eight days.

The U.S. economy has a structural flaw when it comes to women’s wages. When averaging data for all races, women take home just 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. White women, non-Hispanic women earn 77 cents as compared to men and the gender pay gap is even worse among most women of color.  According to U.S. Census data:

  • African-American women earn 61 cents for every dollar earned by men, meaning that for them, Equal Pay Day won’t occur until August 22, 2019.
  • For Native American women, the pay gap is 58 cents for every dollar, with equity not reached until September 23, 2019.
  • Latinas earn 53 cents on the dollar, and won’t catch up to men until November 20, 2019.
  • Due to higher educational attainment for Asian Americans, the wage gap is smaller for Asian American women at 85 cents, but they still earn significantly less than men.

Although Congress enacted the Equal Pay Act in 1963, their work is far from finished. We need the federal Paycheck Fairness Act, to remedy its flaws and strengthen protections that ensure women are paid fairly through increased penalties and better reporting for wage discrimination, among other provisions. The bill recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives and we demand that the Senate schedule a vote on this crucially important legislation.

The gender wage gap puts an even greater burden on hard-working women and their families who are already struggling to keep up with monthly bills, health care, child care and an economy that too often leaves them behind. It even has an impact on the pension and social security earnings that women receive in retirement.

 When the Equal Pay Act was passed, full-time working women were paid 59 cents on average for every dollar paid to men. Since then, the wage gap has narrowed by just 21 cents- a rate of less than half a penny a year. At the current pace, gender pay equity won’t be achieved until the year 2058.

Let’s move Equal Pay Day back where it belongs—to December 31. The earnings year should end with the calendar year—and not a day longer. The feminist agenda is rising–and so must women’s pay.

Contact:

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

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Congress Must Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and Stop the Theft of Women’s Wages

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON — At this very moment, the U.S. House of Representatives has the opportunity to advance legislation — more than 20 years in the making — that will finally begin to close the pay gap between women and men. The National Organization for Women (NOW) strongly supports the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) and urges the House of Representatives to pass the bill without amendments when it comes to the floor on Wednesday, March 27.

This bill, which Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has introduced in every Congress since 1997 and did again this year along with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act by:

  • Increasing penalties for wage discrimination and assuring that employers determine wages through the factors of experience, training, and education rather than sex.
  • Directing federal agencies to collect and distribute data on compensation discrimination.
  • Barring retaliation against women who seek information on pay disparity.

The fact is that women are not gaining ground when it comes to pay equity. When the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963, women were paid 58 cents for every dollar earned by men. While progress has been made, the ratio for weekly full-time earnings of women and men widened slightly between 2017 and 2018.

In 2018, the ratio of women’s to men’s median weekly full-time earnings was 81.1 percent, a decrease of 0.7 percent since 2017, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). This continues a four-decade trend of the declining percentage change in closing the gender gap. Even worse, when adjusted for inflation, women’s median earnings stayed unchanged since 2017, but men’s earnings increased by 0.9 percent.

When breaking down the 2018 ratios for median weekly earnings by race (as compared to white male earnings), IWPR’s research shows:

  • White women at 81.5 percent
  • Black women at 65.3 percent
  • Hispanic women at 61.6 percent
  • Asian women at 93.5 percent (While higher educational attainment leads to higher incomes for Asian American women and men, women still make less than both white men and Asian American men.)

Women have been waiting far too long for equal wages and the Paycheck Fairness Act would bring us several important steps closer to parity.  NOW demands that Congress take action and finally stop the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages for women and their families around the U.S.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, (202) 570-4745

Florida NOW

Florida NOW’s purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls.

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