LANSING, Mich. - It will be a sea of red Tuesday at the Michigan Capitol, as organizations from across the state rally together and wear scarlet to denote the fight to get women's wages "out of the red."

Tuesday is Equal Pay Day, which symbolizes how far into 2015 women must work to earn what men earned in 2014.

Mary Pollock, on the board of the National Organization for Women, says equal pay is not just an issue for Michigan women - it's about ensuring the state's economy works for everyone, particularly since women now account for nearly half the workforce.

"Many of those women are supporting themselves and their children, and they need equal pay and need it now," she says. "It is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in their total lifetime income not to be given equal compensation."

Legislation has been introduced in Lansing that would strengthen the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to make it clear that gender-based wage discrimination is illegal under Michigan law, and to foster greater accountability and enforcement of the issue.

Supporters will take part in a briefing on pay equity legislation at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, followed by a 1 p.m. rally in the Capitol Rotunda.

On average, Michigan women earn 77 cents for every $1.00 that men earn, according to a new report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research. Some believe the comparison is flawed, since women often take time off to raise children. But Pollock says there's too much secrecy surrounding wages, and adds that women aren't asking for any kind of special treatment.

"The jobs that women hold need to be paid commensurate with the skill, effort, responsibility, working conditions, and training required in those jobs," she says.

Pollock says some ground can be gained by steering girls and young women toward higher-paying careers, particularly those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or so-called STEM fields.

"Even in those jobs and even right out of college, the wage discrimination starts right there," she says. "Just getting women into those non-traditional jobs will help improve their particular situation somewhat, but it will not close the entire gap."

According to the study, Michigan currently ranks 36th in the nation for pay equity. At the current rate, it is forecast Michigan women will not achieve pay equity until the year 2086.


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LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Women left the workforce during the pandemic at higher rates than men, and a new report suggests full economic recovery won't be possible if employers do not find ways to bring them back.

Rebekah Smith, director of the Wyoming Women's Foundation, which produced the report, said women workers boost local economies because they invest 90% of what they earn on local goods and services.

The report projected Wyoming would lose at least $45 million in Gross Domestic Product if every Wyoming woman stayed home from work for just one day.

"And so when you look at those two factors together, you see that women not only are contributing a huge amount to the GDP in Wyoming, they are also investing the majority of the money that they earn back into their communities," Smith explained.

Smith contended closing the gender wage gap would help. In 2019, the median average wage for men in Wyoming was $50,000. Women took home just over $37,000. While some argued a majority of women take jobs that tend to pay less, for example, 90% of Wyoming workers in health-care support jobs are women, Smith countered the report suggests ways to make it feasible for women to access higher-paying jobs and leadership positions.

Paid sick and family leave programs can also help more women return to the workforce, because women are more likely to stay home with sick children or other family members.

Smith pointed out access to high-quality and affordable child care, and more flexibility in work hours, would also allow women to work and maintain family commitments.

"With the recent pandemic, that's been something that employers have been more open to, and seen that works can go on in a flexible way," Smith observed. "That's one thing that can be done to encourage women to take on higher positions."

Smith added the report offers opportunities for policymakers to maximize the ability for women to earn self-sufficient wages, enough to meet their basic needs without public or private assistance.

According to the Wyoming Women's Foundation's most recent self-sufficiency standard for Wyoming, a single adult with one preschooler would need to make at least $16.22 per hour in Uinta County, and $29.70 per hour in Teton County.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Before the pandemic, more women were in the workforce than ever before, and new research ranks New York state fifth in the country for women's economic standing.

The report, from the Institute for Women's Policy Research, reveals both progress and barriers that were present before the recession.

Elyse Shaw, study director for the Institute and co-author of the report, noted New York's ranking for 2019 is the same as 2018. She acknowledged the state has been more proactive with policies, like family medical leave, that further women's equity in the labor force. But she contended there are more areas that require work.

"In New York City, the minimum wage is $15 an hour, but outside of that area, it's $12.50," Shaw observed. "Really working to get that up and equalized across the state is something that will really help women and ensure that there's equity, no matter where you live."

Shaw noted wage rules are especially important for women of color, who are disproportionately concentrated in lower-wage jobs. The 2019 data ranked New York in the top 10 among states for median income, gender wage gap, and women in managerial and professional positions, but the state dropped to 23rd for its number of women in the workforce, which Shaw attributes to high childcare costs.

Shaw predicted there will be fewer spots available at childcare centers, since many shut down during the pandemic. The study suggested creating a national childcare system to help women and their families recover from the recession.

"Looking at how can we make childcare more affordable would help working mothers be able to afford to have childcare for their children; and then, be able to work and advance in their careers while they have young children," Shaw asserted.

Other recommendations in the report include providing income support and short- and long-term investments in safety-net programs - such as unemployment insurance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to help more families as they pull out of the pandemic.

RALEIGH, NC -- Barriers to accessing a federal nutrition program for moms and babies persist in North Carolina, but new research shows loosening the rules during the pandemic improved participants' experience.

Nearly 300 recipients were surveyed across eight counties, and the report says many didn't know about or take advantage of policy changes that would have expanded their benefits.

Study author, Duke University Assistant Professor Dr. Carolyn Barnes, said the pandemic's economic fallout has increased demand for assistance by 30% to 40% -- a surge that has challenged the capacity of many resource-constrained agencies.

"I had workers say that their caseloads had gone up 20 to 30%," said Barnes, "and that they were working overtime to process cases."

The report, from Duke University's Center for Child and Family Policy, found allowing remote appointments and more flexibility in the types of food people can purchase, and extending certification periods, made it easier to use the 'WIC' program. In 2019, federal data show North Carolina reached around half of WIC-eligible residents.

The survey also found only 27% of WIC participants surveyed were aware of the greater flexibility in food choices that could have simplified their grocery shopping amid pandemic-related food shortages.

According to Barnes, most women learned about the changes through social media, family and friends, rather than from state agencies. She believes increasing public awareness about these programs can boost participation.

"Your fellow churchgoer or someone you work with, or someone you know personally, your family member that's just lost a job - if you know information about how to sign up for these programs, you can point them to those programs," she advised.

The report also found many households were unaware of the COVID-19 changes to SNAP benefits. Between 20% and 25% said they knew about emergency allotments and extended recertification deadlines. Only one-third of those surveyed were aware they could use their SNAP benefits to shop for food online.