News & Events
Wisconsin Women’s Network Statement on Equal Pay Day and Wisconsin Women’s Pay Inequity
April 17, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Contact: Emily Winecke, 608-255-9809, info@wiwomensnetwork.org
Wisconsin Women’s Network Statement on Equal Pay Day and Wisconsin Women’s Pay Inequity
Wisconsin Women’s Network (WWN) Chair Eve Galanter today released the following statement as part of National Equal Pay Day (Tuesday, April 17, 2012) and in response to newly released figures showing that Wisconsin women continue to earn 77.8 cents on the dollar compared to men.
“National Equal Pay Day remains an unfortunate but necessary day to acknowledge women’s continued pay inequity in the work place. Newly released figures from the Wisconsin Women’s Council and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy show that, although the wage gap in Wisconsin has narrowed, women consistently earn significantly less than their male counterparts. Even when compared to men with the same education and profession, women still earn less.
“Women will never be equal in Wisconsin until their work is valued equally. Lower pay for women means reduced incomes for families, reduced consumer spending and reduced savings for women’s retirement. The wage gap is bad for women, bad for families and bad for Wisconsin’s economy.
“On this Equal Pay Day we are especially troubled that earlier this month the Wisconsin State Legislature and Governor Walker repealed the 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act. This important law allowed those who experienced wage discrimination to seek punitive damages from their employer. This was an important deterrent to illegal wage discrimination in Wisconsin and we fear that without it, Wisconsin may reinforce a culture where such discrimination is tolerated.
“At a time when Wisconsin’s hard-working families continue to struggle to make ends meet, it was wrong to repeal a law that helped protect the wages of working women, many of whom are now the sole breadwinners for their families.
“In 2012, nearly 50 years after Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, it is simply unacceptable that American women earn less than men. We must work together to end this inequity so that our daughters and granddaughters will no longer need an Equal Pay Day.”
The Wisconsin Women’s Network is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals that advances the status of women and girls in Wisconsin through communication, education, and advocacy. More information can be found on WWN’s website: http://wiwomensnetwork.org
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View of Pdf version of this press release here.
