Mother's Equal Pay Day 2022
Nationally, the majority of women between ages 18 and 64 work and 1 in 4 working women, roughly 15.5 million, have a child under the age of 14 at home. American mothers bring in 40 percent or more of their families’ income. This means that the wage gap impacts their entire households which rely heavily on their wages to make ends meet and build economic stability.
Mom’s Equal Pay Day Social Media Toolkit
On September 8th, we will be raising awareness about the wage gap experienced by moms and its disproportionate impact on moms of color, including those who work full time and year-round, as well as those that work in part time and contract positions. We will be highlighting how pay discrimination shows up in the workplace and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on moms.
**Join the Tweetstorm on Twitter on September 8 at 11:00am pacific/2:00pm eastern**
Download the Social Media Toolkit HERE
Research
“About one-in-five working parents, including 23% of working moms and 15% of working dads, say they have turned down a promotion because they were balancing work and parenting responsibilities, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau Current Population Survey data. Another study found that 17% say they have been passed over for an important assignment and 16% say they have been passed over for a promotion because they have children. Mothers are more likely than fathers to report each of these experiences.” https://www.aauw.org/resources/article/fast-facts-working-moms/
Research Resources
A 2021 study found that 33% of married working mothers identified themselves as their children’s sole care provider, leading many to find themselves in impossible to manage positions. The pandemic laid bare previously less visible structural barriers to women’s full and equal participation in our economy, leading Reshma Saujani, the founder of “Girls Who Code” to also become the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Marshall Plan for Moms. This national movement to develop a more inclusive economic recovery for working women and mothers rapidly caught on as women began to see the last 30 years of progress in the workplace erased.
Articles
It’s Time to Stop Treating Parenting as a Mom’s Burden and a Dad’s Adorable Hobby
Policies and structural changes are essential, but on their own those can’t change our cultural attitudes and behaviors toward women.
Fast Facts: Mothers in the Workforce
The labor force participation rate of mothers with children under 18 was 72.3% in 2019. For single, widowed or divorced moms, the rate was 77.6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Motherhood Penalty: Why We’re Losing Our Best Talent To Caregiving
The motherhood penalty may play a big part in holding women back from leadership positions and contribute to the wage gap.
The Wage Gap Is Wider for Working Mothers
Mothers in the U.S. who work full time are paid an average of 69 cents for every $1 a father makes, or $18,000 less annually, according to the National Women’s Law Center’s (NWLC) analysis of U.S. Census data.
Why the Pay Gap for Working Moms Is a Race Issue Too
To begin to unravel the tangled mess of institutionalized discrimination and racism that exists throughout our country, we must also look deeply into our economic system.
The Evolving Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Gender Inequality in the U.S. Labor Market: The COVID Motherhood Penalty
We find that male-female gaps in the employment-to-population ratio and hours worked for women with school-age children have widened but not for those with younger children. Triple-difference estimates are consistent with most of the reductions observed for women with school-age children being attributable to additional child care responsibilities (the “COVID motherhood penalty”).
%
cents to every dollar fathers make in California
%
of mothers say that their employers are open to schedule changes to accommodate caregiving
%
of childcare exceeds the HHS recommended affordability level
%
of hourly workers surveyed have access to emergency back-up care
Reports
According to a National Women’s Law Center’s (NWLC) analysis of U.S. Census data, families depend on women’s wages more than ever, but women working full–time, year–round are typically paid less than men working full–time, year–round in every state. The wage gap between mothers and fathers with mothers working full–time, year–round outside the home, show mothers making just 75 cents for every dollar paid to fathers. The wage gap for mothers varies widely by state, with the wage gap for mothers sitting at 77 cents in California in 2022.
Report Resources
The Motherhood Wage Gap (State by State): Factsheet
The 2022 Gender Pay Gap – The Motherhood Penalty: Report
The Choices Working Mother’s Make – US Census: REPORT
California Budget and Policy Center: What Does It Cost To Support A Family In California?
Breadwinning Mothers Are Critical to Families’ Economic Security – Center for American Progress: ARTICLE
“Identifying and correcting the places where intended or unintended inequalities exist is where we begin to rewrite the status quo. We have to approach transformative change with a new lens — one that inspires us individually and collectively to look at our biases, root out our prejudices and work toward a more just future for everyone. So this Mom’s Equal Pay Day, let’s commit to valuing the working moms in our society and paying them their real worth.”