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Statement

It’s Native Women’s Equal Pay Day, and Progress Is Long Overdue

November 21, 2024
Workplace Justice, Paid Sick Days, Paid Family & Medical Leave, Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of leaders of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on Native Women’s Equal Pay Day 2024:

"No one should ever be shortchanged on a paycheck because of gender, race, or indigenous identity – but today serves as a grim reminder that Native women continue to face an appalling wage gap driven by the legacies of colonialism and state-sanctioned violence. In the United States today, Native women overall are paid just 52 cents for every dollar paid to White men, and women in many tribes are paid even less. Native women who work full-time, year-round are paid just 58 cents to a White man’s dollar. Unfair pay causes real harm to Native women, families, communities and our economy, and we cannot allow it to persist.

“If current trends hold, it will take 400 years for Native women to be paid what they deserve. That is unacceptable and we must change course. Moms are counting on Congress to take bold, comprehensive action to close the wage gap and invest in a future where we all can thrive. Today and every day, we are committed to honoring Native voices and sovereignty, and to fighting systemic discrimination in all its forms.” 

– Statement of Taylor Austin, Campaign Manager for Workplace Justice, MomsRising

“Most Native women are breadwinners for their families, and when Native women are robbed of nearly half their paychecks – or more – due to pay discrimination, it denies Native communities much-needed resources. This shameful discrimination contributes to unacceptably high rates of economic hardship and violence. To close the wage gap for Native women, and to promote real safety and economic security for all, we must advance tools that allow people to earn fair pay, take care of their families, and contribute to their communities. 

“Congress must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen protections against pay discrimination; and also pass the BE HEARD Act to protect workers from harassment on the job. It’s also long past time for Congress to guarantee paid family and medical leave and earned sick days for all workers by passing the FAMILY Act and the Healthy Families Act. Studies show these basic workplace protections would not only help close harmful wage gaps, but also would boost families, communities, businesses and our economy. America’s moms will not rest until these long-overdue policies are a reality. We will continue to fight for an end to the wage gap and for an economy that works for all.”

– Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: www.MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.