As Election Nears, Equal Pay Top Priority for Women
Posted May 3, 2016 07:15 am | Public News Service
ORLANDO,
FL – With national reports giving Florida a failing
grade in terms of economic security for women, a forum
was held last night in Orlando with the goal of getting
women to raise their collective voices for change.
Liz Shuler is the national secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, and she came to Florida to host the forum.
She says because women represent 40 percent of
breadwinners nationwide, it's time for political leaders
and candidates to take their issues seriously.
"When they're bringing home less money, or if they're
having to make a choice between going to work sick or
caring for their family, then that affects the economic
reality of not just the woman who's working, but the
entire family," says Shuler.
The
AFL-CIO conducted a survey of 25,000 working women
nationwide to determine which issues matter most to
them, and found that equal pay and coping with multiple
demands on their time rose to the top.
With the presidential election looming, Shuler says it's
also time for women to ask themselves which candidate do
they believe is really going to address these issues?
"Who's talking about raising the minimum wage? Who's
talking about making sure women are paid fairly and
equally to their male counterparts?," she says. "Who's
talking about paid leave, and making sure that people
aren't going to work sick and having to grapple with how
to take care of their family?"
Shuler adds not only are women increasingly their family
breadwinners, they're also becoming more likely to be
the financial decision-makers.
Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed said they hold
primary responsibility for day-to-day decisions in their
household about money, or share that responsibility
equally with a spouse or partner.
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