Native Women Can't Wait! Sign to support pay equity! TAKE ACTION

Dear Friend,

TAKE ACTION! Tell Congress to make pay equity for Native women a priority today and every day by advancing policies that move our nation toward equal pay!

Did you know November is National Native American Heritage Month? This month is a time to honor this community as the first stewards of this land and celebrate the rich history, culture, and traditions of Native people across the country. And this year, this celebration is punctuated by Native Women’s Equal Pay Day – the day we lift to rally against the egregious wage injustices Native women face in the workforce and to raise awareness about the policy solutions we need to address them.

The current situation has to change. On average, Native women earn only 55 cents for every $1 paid to white men working part-time, full-time, and part year. [1] For Native moms, it’s just 37 cents because in addition to sexism, racism and colonialism, moms face additional wage discrimination and barriers to employment. [2] We cannot allow this gap to persist. We need bold action to end it. We need Congress to swiftly pass the following policies that studies show will help close the wage gap:

• The Paycheck Fairness Act, which would modernize and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to better combat pay discrimination and close the wage gap, including by protecting workers from retaliation for discussing pay, banning the use of prior salary history, and codifying pay data collection;
• The Healthy Families Act, which would set a national standard for paid sick and safe days to allow workers in businesses with 15 or more employees to earn up to seven job-protected paid sick and safe days each year, and;
• The FAMILY Act, which would provide workers with up to 12 weeks of partial income when they take time off from work for their own serious health condition; the serious health condition of a family member; the birth, foster placement, or adoption of a child; to address the effects of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and for certain reasons related to military deployment.

TAKE ACTION! Tell Congress to make pay equity for Native women a priority today and every day by advancing policies that move our nation toward equal pay!

Polls show that the public overwhelmingly supports the passage of fair pay policies! [3] It’s past time for Congress to act. Native women and their families urgently need the Paycheck Fairness Act, Healthy Families Act, and FAMILY Act to close the wage gap and to ensure their economic security and opportunity.

This is serious. The wage gap persists across every tribe for which data is available, with Native women experiencing large wage gaps compared to what white, non-Hispanic men were typically paid in 2022. Yup’ik and Tohono O’odham women earned only 41 cents and 43 cents, respectively, as compared to white, non-Hispanic men – they are short changed about $30,000 a year! [4]. In fact, research shows that if nothing changes Native women stand to lose over 1.1 MILLION DOLLARS over the course of a 40 year career! [5] 

The economic impact of this colonialism-driven wage gap is felt not only by individuals and their families but by entire communities. These lost wages mean Native women have less money to support themselves and their families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and services. And families, businesses and the economy suffer as a result. [6] This is not right!

TAKE ACTION! Tell Congress to make pay equity for Native women a priority today and every day by advancing policies that move our nation toward equal pay!

Native women, their families, and our economy need Congress to support and pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, Healthy Families Act, and FAMILY Act! These policies will close the wage gap and pave the way for a more equitable future where all workers are paid what they rightfully earn.

Together we are a powerful voice for pay equity!

-Taylor, Namatie, Ruth, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising & MamásConPoder team

References:

[1] IWPR: Native Women will not Reach Pay Equity with White Men until 2144

[2] IWPR: Mothers’ Wage Inequities Go Beyond Paid Labor

[3][4][6] NPWF: Native Women and the Wage Gap

[5] NWLC: Native Women Lose More Than $1.1 Million to the Racist and Sexist Wage Gap Over a 40-Year Career

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