Friday, January 29, 2016
One Step Closer to Closing the Wage Gap!
sponsored by Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) and Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville).
While Massachusetts boasted the nation’s first pay equity law over 70 years ago, MA women
continue to make, on average, 82 cents to every dollar made by men. While this percentage is
slightly higher than the national average of 79 cents, MA women lost $11,152 to the wage gap in
2014 according to the American Association of University Women
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2012/12/10/massachusetts-women-forefront-
pay-gap/GgRg7bLVbAWMKqCpae3trK/story.html). Women of color are even worse off, with
Black women making 64 cents and Hispanic women 54 cents to every white man’s dollar
(http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0882775.html). At-Large Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu
illuminated the devastating effects of pay inequality to the Dorchester Reporter. Citing the
Boston Redevelopment Authority’s 2015 report, Councilor Wu noted that women-headed
households make up 35.5% of family households in Boston, yet 64.3% of households living in
poverty (http://www.dotnews.com/2016/pay-equity-bill-ready-debate-senate).
The pay equity bill makes three key changes to current business practices. First, employers may
no longer ask applicants to disclose their salaries from previous jobs, a tactic which
disadvantages women as they tend to make less than men and wrongly implies a lower quality of
work in a previous position. Secondly, the bill intentionally defines “comparable work” as work
“similar in content” that requires “similar skill, effort and responsibility and is performed under
similar working conditions” (http://www.dotnews.com/2016/pay-equity-bill-ready-debate-
senate). Thirdly, employees may discuss their salaries without fear of termination and/or
retaliation from their employer if they file a complaint regarding pay inequity.
In combination with greater transparency and harsher penalties for discrimination on the basis of
gender, pay equity advocates appear optimistic about this bill. “This legislation takes important
steps to encourage awareness, facilitate conversation, and ultimately, ensure equality,” said State
Treasurer Deb Goldberg. “Equal pay is not a partisan issue, nor solely a women’s issue. It is a
family issue, and it affects the economic health and well-being of our entire state”
(http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/2016/01/28/mass-senate-passes-pay-equity-bill-state-
treasurer-goldberg-support-reactions/). Sponsor Senator Spilka remarked, “When women thrive,
businesses, communities and the Commonwealth as a whole thrive”
(http://www.massnow.org/2015/new-equal-pay-coalition-files-comprehensive-pay-equity-
legislation).
Chairwoman Spilka and Sen. Jehlen pushed for this bill with the strong backing of women’s-
centered organizations committed to ending income disparities, including the Equal Pay
Coalition initiated by Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Mass
NOW), the Women’s Bar Association (WBA), the Mass Commission on the Status of Women
(MCSW) and the Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives under the sponsorship of Rep. Jay Livingstone (D-Boston) and Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst).
Monday, October 26, 2015
Votes for Women!
On Thursday, October 29, Focus Films is hosting an early screening of their new film Suffragette at the Kendall Square Theatre in Boston. The event will begin at 7 pm, and all are welcome to RSVP using the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bg8s8iMWHEt0Ey88PXMWmVneTxw4eVBfODWJWmyCY9Q/viewform
Stop Accusing Powerful Women of Shouting
“I’m not shouting. It’s just
when women talk, some people think we’re shouting.” –Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton spoke
some serious truth to power this past week at the Women’s Leadership Forum
in Washington D.C. After enduring a
grueling, hostile, 11-hour hearing on the Benghazi terror attack, Clinton took
to the stage and proved to the American public that she will not be
silenced. With respect to the issue of
gun control, an issue Clinton has pledged
to address as President of the United States with or without Congressional
approval, the former Secretary of State came out swinging and pledged to remain
vocal about the issue despite others criticizing her for “shouting.”
This quote perfectly encapsulates
the struggle many women face in American politics today. When women care deeply about issues and
demonstrate a clear passion and commitment to resolve them, their efforts are
frequently invalidated and belittled.
Say what you will about Hillary Clinton and her politics, but attacking
her for bringing gun control to the forefront of the American political
discourse is petty and childish. Rather
than condescending women for caring about issues that affect them, it would be
far more productive for others to engage with them over those issues in order
to create a substantive, nuanced dialogue the American public deserves during
any given election cycle.
In her
speech at the Women’s Leadership Forum, Clinton said, “But as I said from
the start, I wanted to rise above partisanship and reach for statesmanship, and
that’s what I’ve tried to do.” In moving
forward, let us all take that quote to heart and work together in rising above
the trivial and digging into the issues that affect us as Americans.
--Talia Lepson, MWPC Intern
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Get to Know Representative Kay Khan!
With just under a week to go before the big night- get to know one of our Abigail Adams Honoree's, Representative Kay Khan!
Monday, October 19, 2015
5 Things to Know About Abigail Adams Honoree Josafina Bonilla
The MWPC's Annual Tribute to Abigail Adams recognizes outstanding women leaders in Massachusetts, the Awards will be held Tuesday October 27th at 6pm, Josaphina Bonilla will be honored on that night.
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