Zonta International is a global organization of women and men dedicated to empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy. The Zonta USA Advocacy Action Center is a tool for our members in the United States and other individuals who share our commitment to gender equality to take action to improve the lives of women and girls. With your help, we can make a difference. In addition to the actions below, click here to support our joint efforts with UNICEF USA to end child marriage in the United States.
Women have entered the workforce in record numbers over the past 50 years. Despite the enactment of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, many women continue to earn significantly lower pay than men for equal work, earning on average just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. This gap is even wider for women of color. These pay disparities exist in both the private and governmental sectors. In many instances, the pay disparities can only be due to continued intentional discrimination or the lingering effects of past discrimination. After controlling for educational attainment, occupation, industry, union status, race, ethnicity and labor force experience, roughly 40% of the pay gap remains unexplained.
Pay inequity not only affects women; it affects children and families and our economy. The Paycheck Fairness Act will:
- Strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
- Help eliminate the gender wage gap.
- Guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable.
- End the practice of pay secrecy.
- Strengthen the available remedies for wronged employees.
- Ban employers from seeking salary history, so they have one less false justification for underpaying women and people of color.
This bipartisan legislation was reintroduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) in the House of Representatives on January 28 and by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) in the Senate on February 3. Please use our pre-drafted letters to urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor and support H.R. 7 and S. 205. If they have already sponsored or co-sponsored the bill, you can send a message of thanks.
Click here to see an advocacy reporting map on this action.