“Our communities and economy could not function without the paid and unpaid labor of moms, but Moms’ Equal Pay Day is a searing reminder that our work is undervalued, unsupported, and underpaid – with moms of color experiencing the worst harms. It is appalling and disturbing that Black moms are paid just 47 cents, and Latina and Indigenous moms just 41 cents, for every dollar paid to White dads. Moms overall are paid just 64 cents on a dad’s dollar. Even when looking only at full-time, year-round workers – roles many women are shut out of because our country hasn’t passed the policies that help families manage work and care – moms are paid just 74 cents on average for every dollar paid to dads. The wage gap robs our families of the resources we need to stay afloat, harming businesses and our economy as well. Lawmakers should act quickly and aggressively to end it. 

“This year, the data that makes moms’ wage disparities visible is in unprecedented jeopardy, as just weeks ago the EEOC voted to rescind the wage data collection the federal government has conducted since the 1960s. It is a breathtakingly transparent effort to erase the experiences of women and moms and make it harder to track the race and sex discrimination that pervades our workplaces. We cannot fix what we cannot measure, and moms are ready to fight for the data we need to close the wage gap once and for all. 

“Trump’s shameful weaponization of the EEOC is just one part of his administration’s sweeping assault on working moms. While using empty, insulting rhetoric pushing women to have more babies, Trump and his allies in Congress are actively attacking the programs and policies that make it possible for us to provide for our families and contribute to our communities – including anti-discrimination laws, child care, maternal health care and more – and blocking long-overdue progress on paid family and medical leave. We deserve leaders who will pass the policies working families need to thrive. We won’t stop speaking out until that is a reality.” 

– Statement of Taylor Austin, Campaign Director, Workplace Justice, MomsRising

“As Trump’s policies drive the cost of living higher and higher, families depend on moms’ wages more than ever. But as our nation’s care crisis worsens, it’s no surprise women’s labor force participation has declined and stagnated. Being a mom remains an even greater predictor of wage discrimination than being a woman. Moms are fighting back because we will not accept losing more than our third of our paychecks – or for many moms of color, much more – to structural racism, sexism, and anti-caregiver bias. We all deserve to be paid fairly and to have the resources that allow us to build the lives we want for our families.

“We know the solutions that will close the wage gap, make our workplaces more equitable, and boost our economy, including investing in paid family and medical leave and other care policies. We also know these solutions are wildly popular across party and demographic lines. While Trump escalates his shameful attacks on working moms and families, 42 states and the District of Columbia have now in some way expanded access to paid family and medical leave. It’s past time for Congress to respond to this incredible momentum by passing the FAMILY Act to guarantee paid family and medical leave for all workers, so no one has to choose between their paycheck and showing up for loved ones when they’re needed most. 

“Closing the wage gap and building an economy that supports caregiving is a top priority for moms. It should be a top priority for every member of Congress.” 

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