DES MOINES – As the nation observes Equal Pay Day, a liberal-leaning Iowa political group – Progress Iowa – reminds Iowans that women continue to make less than men:
Today is equal pay day, the day that symbolizes when a woman earns as much as a man earned in the previous year. Nationally, women earn 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. In Iowa, that number is 76 cents for white women, 59 cents for African American women, 57 cents for Latina women, and 52 cents for Indigenous women, according to the report Status of Women in the States. Efforts to address the pay gap have not moved forward in the Iowa legislature, and have not been promoted by Governor Kim Reynolds.
“Equal pay day is a stark reminder that there is not a level playing field for women in Iowa, and that Governor Reynolds and Republicans refuse to do a thing to fix it,” said Lauren McElmeel, Progress Iowa’s Digital Director. “Iowa women make just 76 cents on the dollar for what men make, and it’s much worse for women of color. It’s a shame that our first female Governor and Speaker of the House have failed to lead on this issue. At our current pace, Iowa women won’t achieve pay equity until the year 2062, which for me means it won’t happen until I’m at retirement age. Women are the primary or co-breadwinners in the vast majority of Iowa families, and the pay gap plays a significant role in why Iowa remains a low-wage state.”
In Iowa, nearly a third of women work in low-wage jobs, the USDA reports that more than 30 percent of single mothers are food insecure, and the average woman in Iowa could buy 80 more weeks of groceries each year if the wage gap was closed.
Progress Iowa is a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization with a network of nearly 70,000 progressives. Year-round, Progress Iowa advocates for a stronger middle class, first-class public education, and fairness for all Iowans under the law.
Background:
Status of Women in the States: Iowa
https://statusofwomendata.org/
The effect of the wage gap in Iowa
Pay Gap Is Because Of Gender, Not Jobs
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/
Fast Facts: Economic Security For Iowa Families
