On the steps of the state capital rotunda the MS Women’s Economic Initiative brought together legislatures in support of reducing the gender pay gap.
According to the National Women’s Law Center, women in Mississippi earn $0.75 for every $1 men earn. Mississippi mothers fare worse, earning around $0.67 for every $1 earned by a father.
In a written statement by State Treasurer Lynn Fitch she claims, “There is not a single study that says there is no gender pay gap. There are no studies to say that wage discrimination laws are obsolete. To the contrary, every study done shows that women still struggle to close the pay gap.”
The MWESI argues that the state lacks policies that ensure equal pay for comparable jobs and that women are often steered to lower paying jobs because of outdated cultural norms.
In the 2017 legislative session at least seven different bills were proposed that addressed the issue of equal pay for women in the workplace. All were defeated in the legislative process.
Below is the video of Mondays press conference.
