“Ten years ago, we marked the first Latina Equal Pay Day to shine a light on the extreme wage gap Latinas face – and a decade later, Latinas are still being shortchanged, losing nearly half our paychecks to this appalling discrimination. Every one of our elected leaders should be outraged that in our country today, Latinas working full-time, year-round are paid just 58 cents on average for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men. When part-time and seasonal workers are included, the Latina wage gap widens to an astonishing 54 cents, and Latina moms must find a way to provide for our families while being paid just 41 cents to a White man’s dollar. These figures represent a failure of our nation’s leaders and businesses to eradicate wage discrimination, which persists regardless of our occupation or how many degrees we earn. 

“We cannot and will not accept this disgraceful wage discrimination as the status quo. The wage gap takes a terrible toll on Latina families and communities, and on our nation’s economy. Lawmakers must act with the urgency this injustice deserves. But instead, the Trump administration is dismantling the federal agencies that enforce our labor laws, defunding programs that help working families make ends meet, and sowing fear and chaos in our communities. Moms won’t waver in the fight for wage justice. Our voices are powerful, and we will continue to speak out for policies that promote salary transparency and workplace protections, and equip working families with paid family and medical leave, and affordable child care, elder care, and disability care. Only then will we make real progress toward closing this terrible wage gap.” 

– Statement of Xochitl Oseguera, Vice President, MamásConPoder

“Our economy could not function without the essential contributions and expertise of Latinas, who are critical to our workforce, our families, our communities, and our future. But hardworking Latinas stand to lose more than a $1 million in lifetime earnings to wage discrimination. That’s unacceptable. Latinas are also more likely to struggle without paid family and medical leave or high-quality, affordable child care. These are systemic problems and we moms are counting on lawmakers to take comprehensive action to solve them.

“As Trump’s policies drive up the cost of everything from health care to fresh produce, this fight is more urgent than ever. Moms are fighting for a future where everyone is paid fairly and we all have the tools we need to care for our families, succeed at our jobs, and contribute to our communities. We are committed to fighting for as long as it takes to relegate the wage gap to the place it belongs: history books.” 

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