What’s going on?
Even as Hillary Clinton shattered a particularly stubborn glass ceiling last week when she accepted the Democratic nomination for president, millions of women continue to struggle to get by, often paid less than their male counterparts and unable to access the childcare or paid time off they need.
According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the median woman makes 83 percent of a man’s hourly wages. Women of color face even greater barriers than white women; black women make 65 percent and Latina women make 59 percent of white men’s hourly earnings.
EPI recently introduced the Women’s Economic Agenda, a 12-point plan to close the gender wage gap. The Women’s Economic Agenda includes the following key reforms:
1. Raise the minimum wage.
2. Eliminate the tipped minimum wage, which is just $2.13 an hour and applies to a workforce that is two-thirds women.
3. Provide paid family leave, which is currently available for only 12 percent of private sector workers.
4. Provide paid sick leave.
5. Provide a path to citizenship for undocumented workers.
6. Protect and expand Social Security.
7. Strengthen laws against discrimination.
8. Strengthen collective bargaining rights.
9. Provide accessible and affordable childcare.
10. Require fair scheduling practices
11. Support strong enforcement of labor standards.
12. Prioritize wage growth and very low unemployment in monetary policy.
What can I do?
Sign onto the Women’s Economic Agenda to show 2016 candidates that the public wants them to implement these critical reforms.
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Back in April, Bryce Covert explained why in order to have equality in the workplace, we need both men and women to take paid family leave.
