Native Women's Equal Pay Day
Data from the National Women’s Law Center shows that Native American women, who are typically paid 60 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men, have never been compensated for the full value of their labor the American workforce.
Equal Pay for Native American Women
“Native American women are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis; nearly three in ten Native American women (29%) work in a front-line job. As a result, they are disproportionately affected by the pandemic’s health and economic impacts. Native American women are overrepresented in many of the occupations feeling the brunt of COVID-related job loss. Lost earnings due to the gender wage gap are exacerbating the effects of COVID-19 for Native American women — and for the families who depend on their income—leaving them without a financial cushion to weather this crisis.” – National Women’s Law Center
Join the Twitter Storm!
Native Women earn approximately $0.60 cents on the dollar of White, non-Hispanic men (based on 2019 data). Sep 8, Native Women’s Equal Pay Day is the day Native women must work into the new year to make what White men made at the end of last year. Join the Equal Pay Today Coalition partners for a Twitter Storm: 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET to raise awareness about the wage gap experienced by Native women. We will be participating, highlighting the effects of workplace discrimination, as well as the impacts of COVID-19 on Native women and their families.
2020 State-By-State Earnings For American Indian & Alaska Native Women
In 14 states, American Indian and Alaska Native women earn at least $20,000 less for a year of full-time work than White men
Native American Women Can't Wait For Equal Pay
Native American women are typically paid only 60 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. This gap in pay typically amounts to a loss of $2,055 every month or $24,656 every year, and adds up to $986,240 over a 40-year career system.
Native Women & The Pay Gap
It takes American Indian and Alaska Native women 10 extra months to earn what White men were paid in the previous year. More research and data are needed with respect to factors that cause and perpetuate the pay gap.
The Data
According to data by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, there are many reasons for the wage gap. Native women are often concentrated in low wage occupations, are less likely than women in other racial/ethnic groups to be covered by a union contract, and experience almost double the unemployment rate of other women. These problems may be compounded by or symptomatic of gender and racial discrimination.
Data Resources
Additional Resources
- LeanIn.Org: Native American women face a pay gap—and that’s part of a much bigger problem
- Native Women Lead
- CNBC: Nearly 3 in 10 Native American women work a front-line job, but they’re far from receiving equal pay
- UN Women: UN Women statement on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 9 August 2021
- NCIA Policy Research Center
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Native women are paid on average, 40% less than White men
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Native Americans represent less than 2% of the U.S. population
Is what a Native American woman with a Bachelor's Degree makes on average.
%
Is the unemployment rate for Native Americans - compared to 3.9% for all Americans.
Photo credit: American Indian Cultural District San Francisco
Factsheets
According to data by the National Women’s Law Center, Native women lose forty-three cents on the dollar – this adds up. For Native American women, more than one in five of whom live below the poverty line, the wage gap costs them $2,055 each month, $24,656 a year, and a staggering $986,240 over the course of a 40-year career. Learn more in the fact sheets below.
Factsheet Resources
Factsheets:
- Native American Women Can’t Wait for Equal Pay
- Quantifying America’s Gender Wage Gap by Race/Ethnicity
- Equal Pay for Native Women
- Native Americans and the US Census: How the count has changed
- CDC data show disproportionate COVID-19 impact in American Indian/Alaska Native populations
- Motherhood Wage Gap for Native American Mothers
- The Lifetime Wage Gap by State for Native American Women
- Breadwinner Mothers by Race/Ethnicity
Reports
According to data by LeanIn.Org, Native American women and girls face higher rates of violence and right now, are 3.5 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than White people in the U.S. The pay gap exacerbates existing inequities – nearly three in five Native American women (58%) are breadwinners for their families who are all impacted. Learn more in the reports below.
Report Resources
Reports:
- STATE-BY-STATE EARNINGS FOR AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE WOMEN: WAGE GAPS ACROSS THE STATES*
- The Racial Wealth Gap: What California Can Do About a Long-Standing Obstacle to Shared Prosperity
- Native American women face a pay gap—and that’s part of a much bigger problem
- Racial Wealth Snapshot: American Indians/ Native Americans
- Equal Pay for Native Women
- A Spotlight on Native Women & Girls
Graphic by LeanIn.Org
Social Media Toolkit
As the Covid19 crisis has shown, addressing the continuing pay disparities is critical for economic security. Use this toolkit to help raise awareness about the compounding impacts of the pay gap for Native American women. It shouldn’t take the average Native woman, working full-time year-round, nine extra months to earn what the average white non-Hispanic man earns in one year.
#NativeWomenCantWait
Media Toolkit
Download the toolkit here: