It’s Not Easy Being A Working Woman

>>This is part two of a two-part series highlighting the research of American Women, an organization seeking to amplify the voices of women. The >>last feature focused on research around the mood of women.

It is not easy to be a working woman.

From pay discrimination to lack of childcare, women across the country continue to face challenges in the workplace. There is a strong need for a national dialogue on advancing policies that support working women and families.

>>American Women, a research organization that increases public awareness of the issues impacting American women and families, recently released a report on women and work. Across the country, there is a consensus among women that it continues to be harder for women than men in the workplace. Sixty percent of women say they have a tougher time getting ahead than men, with only 32 percent of women saying that women have an equal chance as men.

Seventy percent of women say that receiving less pay than men for the same work is a problem. In >>North Carolina, women make $0.82 for every dollar that white men make. That number decreases dramatically for women of color; African American women make only $0.64, and Hispanic women make $0.49 for every dollar earned by white men.

As >>women become breadwinners, they face special challenges by often serving as both caregiver and breadwinner. Women spend almost 100 more minutes each day than men on household chores, childcare, and other community involvements.

The >>underlying concerns for women in the workplace are discrimination and unequal treatment. Nearly two-thirds of women say that gender discrimination by employers or supervisors is a problem.

With nonstop partisan bickering and important decisions taking a backseat to political victories, sometimes it’s hard to tell where our elected leaders stand on issues that matter to women and families. Solutions to these problems require a proactive approach that prioritizes the advancement of women – and leaders in Raleigh and Washington, D.C. willing to step up.