Press Releases

U.S. Representative Don Beyer announced a planned series of events to support women in the workforce on this Equal Pay Day 2015, marking the point in the year women’s wages finally catch up to what men were paid the previous year. 

 

"When we don't pay women the same as men we kill the golden goose. Women are a proven key to economic prosperity and families depend on women's wages," said Rep. Beyer. “Today I am announcing a series of events to not only work to rectify pay inequities -- but make sure our economy benefits from the wisdom and hard work of women employees."

 

Beyer will convene women corporate leaders to hear a presentation by Women In Technology's (WIT) "Leadership Foundry" on how public companies in the Metropolitan Washington area compare to other regions by leveraging the benefits of women in leadership. The Leadership Foundry was created by WIT to assist more women to serve on corporate boards in the DC region. 

 

Beyer will also host a roundtable discussion the Private Equity Women Investment Network, a group of nationally recognized senior level  women in private equity (pewin.org). The roundtable discussion will cover the viewpoints of women investors and a new market phenomenon called gender lens investing that's driving companies to improve gender balance in the workplace. 

 

Next fall Beyer will convene a region-wide Women's Economic Empowerment Conference focusing on jobs, wages, professional development, mentoring and contracting. 

 

“Women make up almost half of our workforce, are the primary breadwinners in forty percent of American households, and are raising more and more children alone as single moms. Yet throughout the country, it takes women at least four months of extra work every single year just to earn what her male coworkers make. These hard working women should not have to wait any longer. It is time for equal pay for equal work and I am committed to using my time in Congress working to promote women's economic empowerment to ensure inclusive prosperity for our middle class families," Beyer added. 

 

A working woman, making 77 percent of her male peers, must wait until April 14th to earn what a man made the previous year. Rep. Beyer joined Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act earlier this year. He is also a cosponsor of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act) to extend family leave to the private sector.

 

In Virginia, women employed full time lose a combined total of $13,719,853,332 every year to the wage gap. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, fair pay in Virginia would be enough for:

·          94 weeks of food.

·          Seven months of mortgage and utility payments.

·          Ten more months of rent.

·          3,465 additional gallons of gas.