Women's Equality Day: How Can We Do More For Women?

Aug 26, 2014

By MBPC Staff

It’s Women’s Equality Day and also the 21^st anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). These two topics – women equality and family-friendly workplace policies – go hand-in-hand. So where does the U.S. stack up on these items? See below.  Short answer: we should be doing more. 

Did you know? 

• More than 4 in 10 private-sector workers and more than 81% of low-wage workers do not have access to paid sick days.
• 54% of working mothers do not have a single paid sick day to care for themselves or sick children.
• Montana women are paid 67 cents for every $1 paid to male counterparts.
• Having a baby is a leading cause for pushing families into poverty. In fact, the wage gap between mothers and non-mothers is greater than between women and men.
• Nearly one in five working moms of very young children work low-wage jobs.
• One quarter of women in low-wage jobs work part-time involuntarily.

What can we do about this?  There are a number of policies that MBPC has been highlighting that can help women gain economic stability and support families and children. 

• Access to paid leave gives workers the ability to not have to choose between the health of their family versus keeping their job.  With paid leave, our families are stronger and our workers are more productive. 
• The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the single most effective tool for lifting working families and children out of poverty. In 2011, 86,646 Montanans claimed the federal EITC, injecting over $169 million of federal dollars into the Montana economy. The state could double down on the economic benefits of the federal EITC by establishing a state credit to help Montana’s working families.
• Moms can’t work if child care doesn’t work for them.  Investing in pre-K not only ensures our children are ready to succeed in the classroom, but it also helps working parents stay in the workforce to support their families.