Pay Equality is More Than a Gender Issue

Justice often would be better served if we consciously confront stereotypes. Talking about racial and gender prejudice and in turn discrimination, intended or not, dismantles the status quo-which is women earn less than men. And the numbers are even more disparate for women of color and mothers. Pay equality is not just a gender issue, it is a family issue and a human rights issue. With increasing reliance on two-income streams to sustain a family above the poverty level, female incomes are no longer considered secondary income and are used for essential and discretionary spending. This reliance on female income has always been the case for low-income families and families headed by single-mothers. But such families have been easier for policymakers to ignore.