Press Release
Washington – AAUW's top public policy adviser, Lisa Maatz, will be available for comment on the Senate’s Paycheck Fairness Act hearing set for March 11. To set up an interview, please contact Katherine Broendel at 202/728-7607 or broendelk@aauw.org.
The Paycheck Fairness Act, which has 36 co-sponsors, would help create a climate in which wage discrimination is not tolerated. In these tough economic times, with an unprecedented number of women becoming breadwinners and heads of households, pay equity is needed not only for a family's economic security but also for the nation's economic recovery. Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that women continue to earn, on average, just 77 cents for each dollar earned by their male counterparts.
On Thursday, March 11, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing on the Paycheck Fairness Act (S.182). The bill provides a much-needed update of the 46-year-old Equal Pay Act. This comprehensive legislation would create stronger incentives for employers to follow the law, empower women to negotiate for equal pay, and strengthen federal outreach, education, and enforcement efforts. The bill would also deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who ask about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages. After the enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act last year, the Paycheck Fairness Act is a logical next step forward in the fight for pay equity.
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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.