KITCHEN CALLS FOR EQUAL PAY FOR WORKING WOMEN


Kitchen

 

            HARRISBURG, April 8: State Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen (D-Philadelphia) joined state legislators and prominent statewide women’s organizations to call for an end to the persistent gap in wages between men and women in Pennsylvania and nationwide during a rally today at the Capitol in Harrisburg.

             The event was held in support of a Senate Resolution designating April 22 as Equal Pay Day in Pennsylvania. The Senate adopted the resolution last week.

            “We hold this rally every year for the working woman who is earning every cent of her pay; for the mother who is paying her child’s day care or college tuition; and for future generations of women who won’t face inequality in the workplace,” Kitchen said. “We must continue to raise our voices and demand equal pay for all women.”

Nationwide, women make an average of 77 cents for every dollar a man earns doing the same job.

For women of color, the wage gap is even wider. African-American women earn approximately 63 cents for every dollar a white man earns. Latina women earn about 53 cents for every dollar.

            “For decades, women of all backgrounds have been breaking barriers and opening up possibilities by getting an education, by working hard, and by making their way to the top of their field. Women have earned their place in the workforce; yet, too often it does not reflect in their compensation,” Kitchen said. “The time for equal pay between men and women is long overdue.”