Political Quotes

“Today, April 20th, is being observed as Equal Pay Day. I wish I could say it is a celebration of Equal Pay for women. But it isn't. Instead, this day symbolizes the fact that women continue to earn only 77 percent as much as men, 77 cents on the dollar. Today, April 20, marks how many extra days a woman has to work to earn as much money as a man earned last year. Women are paid less than men even when they have the same experience, the same education, the same skills, and live in the same parts of the country. And they are paid less for doing the same jobs. For example, women lawyers and women doctors both have median weekly earnings that are nearly $500 less than those of male lawyers and doctors. Women food service supervisors are paid about $100 less each week than men in the same job, and waitresses earn about $50 less than waiters. Women professors' weekly earnings are nearly $300 less each week than men's, and the median weekly salary for women elementary school teachers is $70 per week less than that of male elementary school teachers. When women are short-changed in their paychecks, it doesn't just hurt them. It hurts their whole family, including their children and spouses. Lower pay for women means a family can't afford as nice of a home, or give their children the same opportunities, as they could if women were paid as much as men. If married women were paid the same as comparable men, their family incomes would rise by nearly 6 percent.”