Womenstake

NWLC Commentary for Equal Pay Day 2010

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager,
National Women's Law Center

We've been blogging a lot today, and in such a flurry of activity it's easy to miss a post or two. So below is a complete list of the posts by NWLCers in honor of Equal Pay Day 2010. 

And don't forget to check out the full list of posts made today throughout the blogosphere on fair pay for women -- it's quite a collection! 

• Now is the Time for Fair Pay, by Marcia Greenberger, NWLC Co-President, on Huffington Post
• $10,622 Could Close the Health Care Affordability Gap, by Brigette Courtot, NWLC Policy Analyst
• Equal Pay Day: A Serious Reminder of How Much Needs to Be Done to End Pay Discrimination, by Dina Lassow, NWLC Senior Counsel, on ACSBlog
• Fair Pay, Financial Independence, and the Perils of HGTV, by Robin Reed, NWLC Online Outreach Manager
• Getting Paid Less for Women’s Work, by Micole Allekotte, NWLC Health Fellow
• Make a Difference, by Jennifer White, NWLC Intern
• Paycheck Unfairness Should Not Hold Women Back from Higher Education, by Nicole Marschean, NWLC Intern
• Public Radio and Fair Pay: The Power of Perception, by Lauren Robbins, NWLC Intern
• The $10,000 Question, by Lisa Pearlstein, NWLC Intern
• The Wage Gap = Over $10,000 Lost for Women and Their Families, by Fatima Goss Graves, NWLC Vice President for Education and Employment
• What Could Women Do With $10,662 Per Year? Save for Retirement... by Amy Matsui, NWLC Senior Counsel

Equal Pay Day 2010 - The Facts

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center

If you've been following us on Twitter today, you know we've been tweeting out facts on what the wage gap means for women. But of course fair pay isn't only an issue on Equal Pay Day -- so please help us continue to share this information in the months to come with your friends, family, co-workers and online networks:

• 47 years after the Equal Pay Act was passed, the wage gap has closed just 18 cents -- a rate of less than a penny a year.
• Women still make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men -- and the numbers are worse for women of color.
• More than 15.1 million women -- about one in eight -- are poor.
• Women account for nearly 1/2 of all workers and in 2008 nearly 40% of mothers were the primary breadwinners for their families.
• In 2008 women were 35% more likely to live in poverty than men.
• There is not a single state in which women have gained economic equality with men.
• Unmarried women will receive an average of $8,000 less per year in retirement income than their male counterparts.
• Out of over 500 individual occupations, women earn as much as or more than men in only five occupations.
• In 2008, Washington, D.C., had the smallest wage gap (88%), while Wyoming had the widest gap (64%). 
• If women earned as much as men, their annual family income would rise by about $4,000 and their poverty rates would be cut in half.
• African-American women earn 61 cents and Latinas earn 52 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
• Female survivors of domestic violence lose nearly 8 million days of paid work each year.
• In January 2009 President Obama enacted the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a key step fwd in giving women the ability to challenge unequal pay.
• In 2008, 22% of Hispanic women, 9% of white women and 23% of African-American women lived in poverty.
• In 2008 female workers over 25 with some high school education earned a median annual income of $14,707, compared to $23,831 for men. 
• The Paycheck Fairness Act would prohibit retaliation against workers who disclose their wages.
• In December 2009, women’s unemployment jumped to 8.2%, the highest rate in over 26 years.
• In 2008 the median weekly wages earned by female physicians were 64% of the median weekly wages of male physicians.
• By 2004 a typical woman who graduated college in 1984 had lost more than $440,000 due to the wage gap.

Fair Pay, Financial Independence, and the Perils of HGTV

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager,
National Women's Law Center

Last year, I followed the one piece of advice that every financial expert will agree on, and took a big step toward long-term economic stability. I bought a home.

Like many first-time home buyers, as soon as I made that first phone call to a realtor, I became addicted to HGTV. I wanted the tiled backsplash, the grand foyer, the two-story family room with fifteen-foot windows covered by remote-controlled honeycomb blinds. I wanted to live in a hip, urban area with perfect safety ratings and three cupcake shops on every block.

What I got was a one-bedroom condo in a sleepy neighborhood with a view of the Metro overpass.

Weekly Round-Up

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager,
National Women's Law Center

Bianca Laureano posted at RH Reality Check about challenges many women face in obtaining information about IUDs and other forms of birth control.

A young Indiana woman is about to become the first African-American valedictorian in the history of the University of Notre Dame.

Title IX Blog discussed a sexual harassment case involving a woman in a tractor-trailer driving training program in Alabama.

Feminist Law Professors posted a photo from a case in 1925 when, for the only time in U.S. history, a state Supreme Court was made up entirely of women.

Tomorrow is Equal Pay Day! It’s your last chance to pledge to blog or tweet tomorrow about fair pay for women – don’t forget!

Fighting for Women’s Economic Security Everywhere

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager,
National Women's Law Center

A group of experts from around the globe converged in Haifa, Israel, late last year to discuss a crucial topic at a United Nations conference: the impact of the economic crisis on women worldwide.

The conferees discussed the serious consequences of the crisis on women, and noted in their declaration, “We strongly emphasize the role of women as important agents of change and urge their full involvement in efforts to stimulate national economies to ensure long-term recovery.”

NWLC’s Co-President Nancy Duff Campbell was the sole attendee from North America at the event, the 26th biennial International Women’s Leadership Conference. She made a presentation at the conference on Strengthening Policies and Mechanisms to Address Women’s Special Vulnerability in the Current Crisis.

A total of around 50 attendees from about 30 countries took part in the conference, including researchers, government leaders, and representatives of UN agencies and other international, national, and regional organizations.

For more on the conference, read the Haifa Declaration

.

Need a Thanksgiving Survival Guide?

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center 

Just in time for Turkey Day, we've got two new eCards you can send to your friends and family - whether they'll be joining you around the dinner table, or just hearing all the gossip after you get back in town.

The Thanksgiving Survival Guide offers up helpful tips for making the most of the big day.

The Pumpkin Pie Chart Recipe has everything you need to know to create a Thanksgiving dessert that’ll give your relatives something to chew on.

After you’ve sent your eCards, make sure you know the facts so that when the dinner table talk turns to politics, you can tell your fellow diners why women need health care reform. Get all the details at www.AWomanIsNotAPreExistingCondition.com.

Elizabeth Banks Speaks Out for Health Reform That Works for Women

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center 

Yesterday, actress Elizabeth Banks (star of Role Models and The 40-Year-Old Virgin) joined NWLC Co-President Marcia Greenberger (left) at an event supporting our Being a Woman Is Not a Pre-Existing Condition campaign in Los Angeles.

More photos from the event are up on Zimbio, Access Hollywood, and other sites. 

To get your own "A Woman Is Not a Pre-Existing Condition" T-shirt, visit our site. 

Photo by Mark Sullivan/Getty Images North America

Scenes from Today's Vigil - Women's Day of Action for Health Care Reform

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center 

Today, we're braving the chill in Dupont Circle here in Washington, D.C., for our vigil for the Women's Day of Action for Health Care Reform. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., we're reading health care stories from women and families from across the country.

If you're in town, we hope you'll stop by! If not, we're glad to have you with us in spirit -- and please remember to call Congress to demand health care reform now!

Here are some scenes from the vigil so far: 

Women Blog for Health Care 2009 - The Posts

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center 

Below are the posts blogging on women and health care reform for the Nov. 4 Women's Day of Action. If your post isn't listed here, please send it to us and we'll add it. 

Also, remember to watch the #whc hashtag on Twitter too to see tweets on women and health care.

• AAUW Dialog - Christy Jones
• AAUW Dialog - Danine Spencer
• AAUW Dialog - Kathryn Montiegel
• AAUW Dialog - Lecia Imbrey
• Above Average Jane
• Angry Black Bitch
• The Brodsky Blog
• California NOW
• Common Dreams
• Criss writes
• Danine Spencer
• Fem 2.0
• Feminist Peace Network
• Gloria Feldt
• Gretchen's View of the World
• Health Care for America Now
• Hello Ladies
• New Health Dialogue Blog
• Pathways PA Policy Blog
• Ph.D. in Parenting
• PunditMom
• Reproductive Rights Prof Blog
• RH Reality Check
• Salon Broadsheet
• Spare Candy
• The State of Georgia's Women...
• The Undomestic Goddess
• Young Women Misbehavin'

And click here to call Congress and demand health care reform that works for women!

Thanks to everyone participating in the Women's Day of Action for Health Care Reform!

Women's Day of Action for Health Care Reform - Today's the Day!

by Robin Reed, Online Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center 

Today, women are speaking out across the country in support of health care reform that works for women. 

Looking for ways to get involved? Check out this list of options. 

If you're holding an event in your community, let us know about it!

Here in D.C., an all-day vigil is being held in Dupont Circle. If you're in town, stop by -- we'll be reading health care stories from women and families from across the country. 

If you're blogging today on women and health care reform, please send us a link to your post and we'll include it in our roundup, which we'll be posting later today here on Womenstake.org. 

Remember, if you're tweeting today about women and health care, to use the #whc hashtag.

To find out more about women and health care reform -- and why being a woman is not a pre-existing condition -- watch our video: