On Wednesday, September 29, 2021, the Mississippi Senate Labor Committee convened a hearing on equal pay for women in the state. Mississippi is currently the only state in the US with no equal pay law for women in the workforce. The Mississippi Black Women's Roundtable convened experts and diverse perspectives to share information and experiences pertaining to the status of women in Mississippi's workforce and the pay disparities many women face. The hearing featured testimony from Lilly Ledbetter, the plaintiff in a famous employment discrimination case and the namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
UWCA President Dr. Ira E. Murray testified before the committee on findings from the Mississippi ALICE Report. Specifically, Dr. Murray underscored the importance of equal and equitable pay, noting that 83% of single female-headed households in Mississippi fall below the ALICE threshold. According to the report, women in Mississippi make 77 cents for every dollar White men in Mississippi make, with Black and Hispanic women making 56 cents and 55 cents, respectively. From an equity standpoint, the report also found - and Dr. Murray testified - that women in Mississippi are overrepresented in many of the lower paying jobs across the state.
To watch the hearing, click on the button below or follow this link.
For more information about the #EqualPayMSNow movement, visit www.msbwr.org.
To learn more about the Mississippi ALICE Report and data center, click here.
