In California, women earn only 88 cents for every dollar a man earns. According to the National Women’s Law Center, this costs women an average of $907,680 over a 40-year career span. From the moment women are hired for their first jobs until they retire from the workforce, pay inequities impact not only their lives but also their families and communities.
To help address this systemic issue, I am proud to share that the Board of Supervisors recently approved my motion, Celebrating Women’s History, Closing the Gender Pay Gap, co-authored by Board Chair Lindsey Horvath. This motion builds on the steps the County is taking to help close the Gender Pay Gap by signing on to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Equal Pay Pledge and putting us on a path to establish a Retirement Readiness Assistance Program for women across all industries in the public and private sectors.
Despite having a full work history, the national organization Justice in Aging states that a higher rate of women are living below the Federal Poverty level at retirement. A Retirement Assistance Readiness Program is a crucial step in the fight for pay equity. As women near retirement, insight into wealth-building opportunities and financial management can positively change the trajectory of their lives.
As we celebrate Women’s History, we must continue to take action every day to eliminate structural barriers, like unequal pay, to create a world where gender inequities no longer exist.
Sincerely,
Holly J. Mitchell
Supervisor, Second District
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
