Equal Pay for Mother's Day
May 5th was Mom's Equal Pay Day. The date acknowledges the unequal pay status of mothers in the workplace. Claire Ewing-Nelson leads the National Women's Law Center's (NWLC) research on gender-based wage gaps. In discussing the significance of Mom's Equal Pay Day falling on May 5th this year, she told Good Morning America, "That means that moms had to work more than 16 months to make as much as dads were paid in 12 months." Has the pandemic worsened pay equity? What can we do to close this wage gap?
75 cents on the dollar.
The NWLC's 2021 research revealed that mothers who work full-time, year-round earn 75 cents for every dollar earned by fathers. This disparity translates to approximately $1,275 in losses per month and more than $15,000 annually. Are wage gaps for women in general the same as wage gaps for mothers? The numbers are close, but mothers typically earn less. According to the NWLC, women who work full-time, year-round are paid roughly 82 cents for every dollar men earn. Ewing-Nelson said, "Moms are typically paid less than women in general, and dads are typically paid more than men in general, which is why the wage gap is larger for moms than it is for women overall." Data also shows that many women of color face additional race-based wage gaps.
Reimagining the data.
Trying to imagine what wage inequality looks like on a large scale can be challenging, so Reshma Saujani created the "Moms Deserve More Flower Store" policy and awareness campaign. As the founder of the Marshall Plan for Moms and Girls Who Code, Saujani is well-versed in employment data. Her campaign features bouquets curated by partners to highlight wage disparities. For example, the "paid leave bouquet" by PL+US and Paid Leave For All would cost $9,000 and the "lost job bouquet" by Scary Mommy comes to $36,000.
Why COVID-19 is worse for mothers.
At the beginning of 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, women held more jobs than men in the United States. Between pandemic-related layoffs and leaving the workforce to balance increasing demands at home, 2021 started with millions of women struggling through unemployment. The U.S. Census Bureau and Federal Reserve discovered that throughout this pandemic unemployed women ages 25 to 44 have been nearly three times as likely as their male peers to be out of the workforce because of their children's needs.
Advocate early and often. Wage gaps start early. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest data, the average weekly wage for teenage boys ages 16 to 19 is $511, while teenage girls in the same age range earn $467 per week. Equal Pay Today tracks "equal pay day" disparities by gender and race. For each date, including the recent Mom's Equal Pay Day, they provide an advocacy toolkit and host virtual events.
Check out the Marshall Plan for Moms. Their diverse coalition of organizations, including religious, military, and bipartisan groups, are advocating for a safety net for mothers in the United States. Their proposals include paid family leave, pay equity, and affordable childcare.
