Press Release
AAUW Top Policy Adviser Available for Reaction to New Gender Pay Gap Numbers
Difference between Women's and Men's Pay Narrows
WASHINGTON – AAUW's top public policy adviser, Lisa Maatz, is available for comment on the new Census figures, which will be released tomorrow, that show a narrowing gender wage gap. While the figures provide a snapshot, they do not tell the full story.
"Much of the improvement in the gender pay gap has not been the result of women's pay increases; rather, it is due to decreasing or stagnating wages in traditionally male jobs that don't require a college degree, such as construction and manufacturing," said Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. "Any celebration is premature and, truthfully, feels a bit like Nero fiddling. How can we call it progress when women's so-called gains come during a recession that has greatly hurt workers nationwide? Pay equity is a family issue, and families are hurting."
AAUW has long fought to end the wage gap. Most recently, we have been leading the push for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate. The bill is a sorely needed update to the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
Last month, AAUW released data on how the wage gap affects African American and Hispanic women, including numbers showing that a typical white man makes $19,109 more than an African American woman with a similar job and education level. In April, AAUW released a state-by-state ranking of the pay gap and has collaborated with the National Partnership for Women and Families to produce fact sheets that underscore the human cost of pay discrimination.
Maatz works to advance AAUW's priority issues on Capitol Hill, through the executive branch, and in coalition with other organizations. She has done similar work for the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Older Women's League and was a legislative aide to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Her grassroots advocacy career began when she was executive director of Turning Point, a battered women's program recognized for excellence by the Ohio Supreme Court. Maatz's areas of expertise include pay equity and other civil rights issues related to women and girls, and she recently contributed to Secrets of Powerful Women: Leading Change for a New Generation, a collection of 24 essays on the secrets to success. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio University, has two master's degrees from Ohio State, and holds an adjunct appointment with the Women and Politics Institute at American University.
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The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation’s leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 600 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 130 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections.