In the US, according to a new analysis released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the median weekly income for men is higher than those of women in almost all occupations. Even in the highest ten paying professions for women, a woman’s salary consists of only 86% of a man’s salary in the same position. This has significant consequences for women, as the salary that a female worker is paid today considerably impacts the amount of social security benefits she will receive later in life and the retirement money she will be able to rely on due to the contribution she will be able to make to her 401K plans.
Internationally, female workers are often struggling to obtain a living wage that will barely keep them out of poverty, let alone demand for equal pay. That is the case for Amanda Camacho, a Colombian cut flower worker who has worked on the same flower plantation for 14 years, not out of loyalty, but as a strategy to work towards better conditions for all the workers at her plantation. According to Amanda, “I chose to take action because I am tired of the humiliations from my employers.” In honor of Mother’s Day, the International Labor Rights Forum, in conjunction with USLEAP and Jobs with Justice South Florida, will be hosting a Mother’s Day Speaking Tour during which Amanda will be sharing her incredible stories with us. If you’re in the DC, NYC, or Chicago area, click here to see where Amanda will be speaking near you!
So what can we do to help female workers around the world achieve justice and fair pay?
In 2003, ILRF started the Fairness in Flowers campaign to help female workers like Amanda fight for a safe working environment free from sexual harassment, a decent living wage, and safeguards to protect their health in the global cut flower industry. To support mothers like Amanda this Mother’s Day, you can purchase a raffle ticket to ILRF’s Mother’s Day Raffle, where you can win a dozen rose bouquet produced on farms with strong labor standards, and your contribution will support initiatives such as the Mother’s Day Speaking Tour.
In terms of policy, while the Obama Administration gave female workers in the US some hope by signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law on January 29th, you can tell Congress to step up and help women achieve equality faster by encouraging them to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. Studies have shown that female workers who belong to a union are more likely to receive better pay and benefits, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Internationally, Congress must also ensure that anti-discrimination provisions and strong labor protection for workers are included in US trade agreements with other nations in order to protect female and male workers on both sides of the agreement. US Congress should also consider ratifying ILO Convention 111, which prohibits discrimination of any form in the workplace. Given that US law has already been deemed to be in compliance with ILO Convention 111, no changes would have to be made to any US legislation, and the passage of ILO Convention 111 would signal to the world that the US is indeed serious about ensuring equality for all.
