Updated Nov. 22, 2008
The Wall Street Journal is currently featuring its “Women to Watch” series, highlighting women who are leading major corporations throughout the world. The article states that women hold only about 15 percent of corporate-officer positions in Fortune 500 companies, which is down 1 percent since 2005. While women have made great strides recently in the political realm, as both elected officials and cabinet members, the “glass ceiling” seems to remain as thick as ever on Wall Street. However, there are some bright spots for corporate women. The Wall Street Journal also pointed out that as more and more women become in charge of powerful board committees, we could see more women being appointed to key positions.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for November 21, 2008.
On Friday, President Bush signed into law an extension of unemployment compensation. The legislation (H.R. 6867) cleared the House (368-28) on Oct. 3 and cleared the Senate (voice vote, following an 89-6 vote to move forward with the legislation) on Thursday. According to CQ, the passage of these extensions gives an extra seven weeks of unemployment insurance to those whose benefits have run out and an additional 13 weeks to those in states with unemployment rates higher than 6 percent. This comes as new data shows that unemployment levels are at their highest in 16 years.
While Democratic congressional leaders continue to work out an economic recovery package that they hope to consider soon after the 111th Congress convenes on Jan. 6, they acknowledged Thursday that a second lame duck session could be called the week of Dec. 8 to consider a bailout package for the auto industry. Until then, though, the House stands in recess. The Senate will continue to meet in pro forma sessions, with one senator gaveling in for a few minutes every few days, to prevent President Bush from making recess appointments.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for November 21, 2008.
Coinciding with the anniversary of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, AAUW signed on to an amicus brief on a case involving Title VII and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The case of AT&T v. Hulteen, which is before the Supreme Court, will address whether AT&T violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by awarding women retirees smaller pensions because of leave taken during pregnancy before the PDA was passed in 1978. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires employers to treat pregnant women the same as other employees with similar abilities or physical limitations.
AAUW and the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund strongly believes that women’s pensions should not be tainted by the discriminatory policies of the past, and that women should not in effect be punished because of their parental status. Visit the LAF Resource Library’s new web resource on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and join AAUW in advocating other family friendly policies such as paid sick days, paid parental leave, and pay equity.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for November 7, 2008.
WASHINGTON — AAUW urges the nation to celebrate the gains that women have made under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which was enacted 30 years ago on October 31. The critical civil rights law requires employers to treat pregnant women the same as other employees with similar abilities or physical limitations.
“There was a time in this country when pregnancy served as a green light for sex discrimination. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act has helped to change the nation’s mindset about childbearing and working moms, and it continues to provide significant civil rights protections for women,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “This important legislation has helped to pave the way for a generation of working women and strengthened the American workforce in the process.”
AAUW is closely watching AT&T v. Hulteen, a case before the Supreme Court involving the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The high court will decide whether women who took pregnancy leave before the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act should get full service credit for their time on leave when calculating their retirement benefits. AAUW has signed on to an amicus brief in the Hulteen case on behalf of the women, arguing against discriminatory practices that treat pregnancy leave less favorably than leave for other disabilities when calculating such benefits.
“We are completely behind Noreen Hulteen and the other women in their fight against AT&T,” said Lisa M. Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. “Their pensions should not be tainted by the discriminatory policies of the past, and they should not be punished simply because they became mothers.”
While men can typically encounter a job boost from fatherhood, woman often hit the “maternal wall,” according to experts who study the issue. While more than 80 percent of American women become mothers during their working lives, studies show there is a “motherhood penalty” on wages of approximately 5 percent for every child a woman has.1These pay inequities find their way into women’s golden years, not only in the form of fewer funds to save during their working years but also in smaller pensions in retirement.
On Capitol Hill, AAUW is fighting for family-friendly legislation that would help fulfill the promise of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. “Unfortunately, AT&T is basing part of its arguments in the Hulteen case on the Ledbetter decision, so women are already reaping what the Supreme Court has sown with that wrongheaded decision,” said Maatz. “In these tough economic times, there should be an even better incentive not only to enforce the Pregnancy Discrimination Act properly and vigorously but also to pass the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.”
As part of the anniversary celebration, AAUW’s Legal Advocacy Fund (LAF) has released a new web resource on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The law is featured in a new element of the LAF Resource Library that includes useful background, information about rights and enforcement, a discussion of recent pregnancy discrimination cases, as well as answers to frequently asked questions and additional resources.
“When the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed, we had no women on the Supreme Court and precious few women in Congress. While a lot has improved for working women, AAUW believes that paid sick days and pay equity are critical ingredients to fulfill the promises of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act,” Hallman said. “Such legislation is good for women, good for families, and good for business.”
- from AAUW's Washington Update for October 28, 2008.
The "Annual Stress in America" study, recently released by the American Psychological Association, found that the nation is taking on more stress as a whole due to the burgeoning financial crisis, and that this stress is causing increased physical and emotional health problems. However, women are more likely to experience stress due to the economic climate than men are. When compared with men, more women say they are stressed about money (83 percent vs. 78 percent), the economy (84 percent vs. 75 percent), job stability (57 percent vs. 55 percent), housing costs (66 percent vs. 58 percent) and health problems affecting their families (70 percent vs. 63 percent). Women in their mid-to-late 40s and older are the most likely to bear the burden of financial worry, and the effects of this increasing level of stress are great. The study found that women were more likely than men to report fatigue, irritability, depressed or sad feelings, and headaches due to stress. This has become increasingly true in the past year.
AAUW is dedicated to advancing economic security and independence for women by promoting the protection of social security, increasing pay equity, and supporting family-friendly workplaces. Read more about AAUW’s position on such issues.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for October 17, 2008.
Time Magazine recently released an article on the issue of pay equity, which looked at the problem from a very different viewpoint. The article “If Women Were More Like Men: Why Females Earn Less,” focuses on a study done on transgender people in the workplace, and the discrimination they face after gender realignment. The study found that women who become men (known as FTMs) do significantly better than men who become women (MTFs). MTFs in the study earned, on average, 32 percent less after they transitioned from male to female, even after the authors controlled for factors like education levels. FTMs earned an average of 1.5 percent more. The study offers an interesting view that furthers illustrates the discrimination women face, even if they were previously male.
AAUW strongly supports efforts to close the persistent wage gap between men and women. Read AAUW’s position on pay equity.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for October 10, 2008.
Recent economic troubles are prompting many watchdogs for women’s rights to voice growing concern over women’s retirement security, Women’s E-news reported on Tuesday. Data collected by Vanguard indicates that women have a smaller cushion in their plans, with men on average having invested $40,000 more than women in retirement funds. WISER, a women’s retirement advocacy group, also noted that smaller losses hit women harder as about 1.4 million more women than men live in poverty. The demise of retirement savings will likely also force older women to work longer and to return to the workforce if they have already entered retirement. This crisis on Wall Street should be a wake-up call for the next administration to protect Social Security to ensure that women have a secure future in retirement.
AAUW is committed to a Social Security system that provides lifelong protections for women and families that include guaranteed benefits with cost-of-living adjustments. Women are more dependent on Social Security then men are, because they earn less than men while in the workforce, are less likely to receive a pension, are usually in the workforce for shorter periods of time due to care giving responsibilities, and live longer on average than men. Read AAUW’s position papers on women and Social Security and Social Security privatization.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Sept. 19, 2008.
A new study by the Government Accountability Office found that the federal government has failed to adequately scrutinize enforcement of our nation’s pay discrimination laws. In the study, the GAO found that the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee and the Department of Labor, both charged with enforcing pay discrimination laws, do not monitor gender pay performance in a comprehensive method, leaving many employees vulnerable to pay inequity. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), who requested the study, have reiterated their call for Congress to pass legislation that would toughen pay discrimination laws and take steps to erase pay inequities.
On Monday, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition program highlighted pay equity and the increasing focus this issue is receiving in the presidential campaigns. The segment featured Lilly Ledbetter and a summary of the action surrounding the legislation that bears her name. The story also featured AAUW-supporter Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, and discussed the presidential candidates’ position on the pieces of legislation.
ACTION: While the House has passed both the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 2831) and the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338/S. 766), the Senate has yet to pass either. To further the fight for pay equity, urge your senators to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 2831), which contains a narrow legislative fix to more justly allow victims of pay discrimination to seek vindication. Then, urge your senators to cosponsor and support the Paycheck Fairness Act.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Sept. 12, 2008.
A new report by the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society suggests that the fact that elective office is more of a white male occupation may have more to do with a pipeline than the infamous glass ceiling. The study, “Appointed Policy Makers in State Government: Glass Ceiling in Gubernatorial Appointments,” found that a disproportionately low number of women and minorities are appointed to top state jobs, making it difficult for them to get the experience and the public attention needed to achieve a successful political career.
The report surveyed the amount of women and minorities appointed by governors in each state to leadership positions from the year 1997 to 2007. The survey exposed a dismal gain in many areas. The percentage of top-ranking executive leadership positions held by women has increased, but not by much. By 2007, women held 35 percent of executive posts, compared to 28 percent in 1997. On the other hand, there is some evidence of women’s more significant progress: 26 of the 50 states reached a higher level of gender representativeness in the executive branch of state government in 2007 than in 1997. The area that reported the most disappointing results was in policy leadership. Over the 11-year period from 1997-2007, the percentage of women exercising policy influence in governors’ offices increased by a mere 2.4 percentage points.
ACTION: AAUW’s Voter Education Campaign encourages women voters to get involved in the political process and shows the impact congressional action has on their lives and the lives of the people they love. Use AAUW’s new Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout Program in a Box with your AAUW branch or with a group of friends and neighbors to plan and implement a personal voter outreach campaign. Together, we can make sure that women’s voices are heard at the polls on Nov. 4.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Sept. 12, 2008.
Thanks to the hard work of AAUW members and coalition partners, the House passed (278 - 146) the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (H.R. 5781) on June 19. See how your representative voted. This important legislation will provide federal workers up to four weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, and will be a significant step towards paid paternal leave for all Americans.. Now that the Senate is back from their recess, it's time for them to act.
A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research found the U.S. to have the least generous parental leave policies of the 21 high-income countries surveyed. The report, "Parental Leave Policies in 21 Countries: Assessing Generosity and Gender Equality," found the U.S. finished last among the countries studied when it comes to generosity of paid leave. A February 2007 study by Harvard and McGill University researchers found that the U.S. is one of only five countries out of 173 in their survey - along with Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea - that does not guarantee some form of paid maternity leave. As the nation's largest employer with over 2.7 million employees nationwide, the U.S. government should be leading the way in family friendly workplace policies. Instead, it lags far behind.
While federal workers are eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act, many cannot afford to take the time off while not receiving a paycheck. The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act will allow federal workers the ability to take care of and bond with their newborns and newly-adopted children, which is critical to the health and well-being of the child and the parent, without the increased burden of the loss of wages.
The Joint Economic Committee estimates that it costs nearly three times as much to replace an employee than to provide them with four weeks of paid parental leave. In addition to reducing turnover, paid parental leave can lead to increased productivity, better morale, and reduced absenteeism.
AAUW's member-adopted Public Policy Program has long supported flexible workplace policies to address the family responsibilities of employees. Such protections and improvements are critical to women's equal opportunity and economic security.
Take Action! Urge your senators to support the Family Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (S. 3140) so that America's federal workers don't have to choose between keeping a job and caring for a new child.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Sept. 10, 2008.
New statistics released by the U.S. Labor Department Friday show that the unemployment rate jumped to 6.1 percent in August, the highest level since September 2003. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, women were hit the hardest, with a rise of 0.7 percentage points to 5.3 percent. Black women saw an even bigger jump—1.6 percentage points—to bring their unemployment rate to 9.1 percent. While unemployment rose among workers at all educational levels, workers without high school degrees had the largest rise. Their unemployment rate jumped 1.1 percentage points to 9.6 percent, the highest level in almost 14 years.
AAUW continues to break through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance. For more information on how AAUW advocates for all women to achieve economic self-sufficiency, see our issues page.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Sept. 5, 2008.
U.S. women now face the smallest wage gap in history, the Census Bureau announced Aug. 26 in an analysis of 2007 data, narrowing the gap by one penny over the previous year. Women now earn 78 cents for every dollar a man earns for equal work. In 1980, women earned 60 percent of men's pay.
California has the smallest wage gap among states, the San Jose Mercury News reported, and women there earn 84 percent of men's wages.
The gender wage gap persists around the world. A United Nations report criticized Britain this week for allowing rampant discrimination against women, including unequal pay, the Independent reported Sept. 2. U.K. women earn 83 percent as much as men.
In Germany, progress to equalize pay is stagnant and women earn 24 percent less than men, the New York Times reported Sept. 2. Women's caregiving duties are considered a major explanation for both lower wages and smaller work-force participation. Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration has authorized an increase of $216 million for 79 universities that demonstrate a commitment to workplace equality, Der Spiegel reported Sept. 4. Only 15 percent of the country's tenured professors are female.
- from Women's e-News
A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research found the U.S. to have the least generous parental leave policies of the 21 high-income countries surveyed. The report, “Parental Leave Policies in 21 Countries: Assessing Generosity and Gender Equality,” found the U.S. finished 20th out of 21 countries in terms of total length of leave guaranteed to a two-parent couple, and last among the countries studied when it comes to generosity of paid leave. Only Australia and the U.S. have no minimum standards for paid leave, but Australia gives new parents a $3,000 “baby bonus.” While the Family and Medical Leave Act in the U.S. sets a minimum standard for parental leave, the leave is unpaid, and about 40 percent of U.S. workers are not protected by the FMLA. The report also found that the U.S. fell right in the middle of the countries in the study in the area of gender equality of leave, with the FMLA guaranteeing identical leave to both parents.
AAUW continues to work to advance policies that will improve workplaces for employees with family responsibilities of all kinds. Such protections and improvements are critical to women’s equal opportunity and economic security.
ACTION: Thanks to the hard work of AAUW members and coalition partners, the House passed (278 - 146) the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (H.R. 5781) on June 19. See how your representative voted. This important legislation will provide federal workers up to four weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, and will be a significant step towards paid paternal leave for all Americans. Now it's time for the Senate to act; urge your senators to support this legislation. For more information, read AAUW's position paper on family friendly workplaces and visit the new FMLA section of AAUW's Legal Advocacy Fund Resource Library for information, frequently asked questions, statistics, and resources.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Sept. 5, 2008.