This year marks the 90th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote in the United States. In 1971 the Congress designated the date as “Women’s Equality Day.”
It is a significant milestone, but it evokes conflicting emotions. On the one hand, the hardships and sacrifices made by our foremothers in order to bring about passage of the 19th amendment are inspirational, even guilt-inducing. One cannot help but admire the determination and physical courage it took to stand against the forces of polite society and law enforcement that were brought to bear against the suffragists. Who among us would be willing to be imprisoned, beaten, tortured and force-fed in support of a cause, no matter how worthwhile? Those brave women deserve our recognition and respect.
On the hand, it is discouraging to realize that 90 years have gone by since that historic event in 1920, and despite remarkable advances in the lives of women in the U.S., equal pay protection remains an increasingly elusive goal. Women make up over half the workforce in the country, yet, according to new data from the Bureau of labor statistics, the gap between men’s and women’s median earnings widened between 2007 and 2008.
To illustrate the impact of the gender wage discrepancy AAUW has published several pieces of research on the subject. The most recent works are Gains in Learning, Gaps in Earning and Behind the Pay Gap. Each year, AAUW and coalition partners across the country publicly recognize pay inequities on Equal Pay Day that will next occur on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.
The good news is that AAUW members have the opportunity to act now to redress the gender pay disparity. The Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182) would provide women with more tools than they currently possess to obtain fair pay in the workplace. It is imperative that the U.S. Senate acts on this bill when Congress reconvenes in September, but certainly before the end of the Congressional session in December.
Even though Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow are supporters of the legislation, they need to know that it is important to the voters of Michigan. Further, if you have family, friends or acquaintances in states where Senators have not yet realized the need to pass this legislation, an informative phone call or e-mail message to constituents in those states might prove to be beneficial to the passage of the bill.
Yes, we have come a long way in the last 90 years, but there is still a great deal waiting to be accomplished. Let’s make passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act a priority for AAUW members in Michigan, and throughout the U.S. Future generations will thank us for our actions, just as we show appreciation for the fortitude of our suffragist foremothers by remembering Women’s Equality Day.
Barbara Bonsignore
AAUW of MI Public Policy Director
August 25, 2010
Posted under Equity in the News
This post was written by BarbaraB on August 25, 2010









