How would you like to have your paycheck cut in half? That’s the case for many Latina women in the United States.
Today is #LatinaEqualPay Day, the symbolic day when Latina’s earnings “catch up” to men’s earnings from the previous year.
Thanks to the gender pay gap, Latinas are paid 54 percent of what non-Hispanic white men are paid. That means it takes Latinas almost an entire extra year of full-time, year-round work in order to be paid what the average white man took home by December 31. Think about how that adds up over a lifetime, and we’re talking about losing a substantial chunk of change — change that could have greatly aided Latinas and their families.
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¿Qué Pasa, USA? The State of the Latina Address
When Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ran for Congress in 1989, she told her opponents that she would run and she would win, because no one would outwork her. She became the first Latina ever elected to Congress.
Today, Latinos are the largest U.S. minority population, yet the United States has never had a Latina Senator. Only 11 Latinas have ever served in Congress.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the incredible strides Hispanic and Latina women such as Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Justice Sonia Sotomayor have made, but there’s still work to be done.
Seriously, ¿qué pasa, USA? We can do better!
Learn how you can help more young Latina women run and win elections.
In honor of #WomensEqualityDay, here are seven amazing women of color who have helped fight for — and win — greater equality for women.
Today commemorates a historic step for women’s equality: the passage of the 19th Amendment, which secured women’s right to vote, on August 26, 1920.
Yet long after the passage of the 19th Amendment, racial discrimination continued to keep women of color from voting. Even today we continue to see passage of a variety of laws that threaten to prevent women, especially women of color, from voting.
Of course women of color haven’t remained silent in the face of these setbacks. Although they have often been the leading voices and innovators in the fight for equality, history has a tendency to erase their legacy and voices.
If these seven women teach us anything, it’s that passion and dedication pay off. We’re encouraged to continue their work; learn how you can join us in continuing the fight toward women’s equality.
Read the full blog post to learn more about these 7 inspiring women.
INFOGRAPHIC: The Wage Gap for Women of Color
New figures show Latina women hit hard by wage gap
Just how much extra money could families have if Latina women’s pay were commensurate to men’s salaries? The median salary for Hispanic women is $29,020 a year, and the median salary for all men is $48,202 dollars. According to the National Partnership, closing approximately this $19,000 differential would allow Latinas to buy approximately three years’ worth of food, more than one year of mortgage and utility payments, nearly two years of rent, five years of a family’s health insurance premiums, or more than 5700 gallons of gas.