Legislative Agenda / Economic Equity and Equal Pay
NACW supports pay equity and equal pay for women and minorities. Pay equity means that wages are based on job requirements such as skills, effort, and responsibility without consideration of race, sex, or ethnicity.
Position: Encourage the implementation of a pay equity policy including a job evaluation system that reviews and compares the education, skills, and experience needed to perform different jobs.
NACW encouraged the passage of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 1999 (S. 192 and H.R. 325), the federal law increasing minimum wage to $6.15 by January 1, 2001. The majority of minimum wage earners are women! Women need more in order to meet current obligations and move toward self-sufficiency.
Position: Enact laws that increase minimum wage to help end the cycle of poverty for women and their families.
NACW supports social security reform that reduces poverty among older women. Social Security benefits provide a safety net for many women. Without the benefits, more than fifty-two percent of all elderly women would be destitute.
Position: Support social security reform that strengthens financing while protecting women and improving benefits to reduce poverty among older women.