To the Editor:

National Equal Pay Day this year is March 12. Year after year, pay for women across all ages and all ethnic groups lags behind pay for men. Here in NYS, according to 2022 data, women receive 88 cents for every dollar paid to men. If part-time workers are included, that drops to 77 cents to the dollar. For women of color, Native American women, mothers, and LGBTQ individuals, the discrepancy in pay is even greater. 

Why does the pay gap remain so hard to close? In part, it’s because women historically have been paid less for the same or equal work done by men. There are policies that can help address that fact: New York recently passed a law that requires the inclusion of salary ranges in job postings, a practice which will help to chip away at differing pay scales for people in the same job.  

To achieve real economic justice for women, however, we also need other policy changes: universal childcare, fair pay for care workers, paid leave for all, and access to higher paying jobs in the trades and the green economy. The work traditionally available to many women, especially care giving, is severely undervalued. New York is facing a massive shortage of caregivers, and other essential frontline workers, and the main reason is substandard pay. These jobs, which are critical for the strength of the overall economy, should provide a living wage and the opportunity to save for retirement.  

Increased wages in jobs that have traditionally been “gendered” female might attract more men as well. Conversely, more job training opportunities would help women to find higher paid employment in fields outside of what is now called the “pink ghetto.” 

On March 12, National Equal Pay Day, reach out to Governor Hochul and to your state legislators. Let your voice be heard in support of including more funding for care work in the state budget. Also tell your representatives you want equal opportunity for women in state job training programs. Let’s stop talking about equal pay and start paying women what they are worth. 

Kathleen Stein, President
League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County
Canton