This past week was a rough one for
women who like fair pay and bodily autonomy, with blows coming from
both the United States Senate and the Michigan House of
Representatives.
On June 5th, nearly
overshadowed in the media by the contentious Wisconsin recall
election, the Senate had the opportunity to vote on the Paycheck
Fairness Act. It seemed innocuous enough. If passed, the bill would
have required employers to explain differences in pay among male and
female employees and would have prevented retaliation against
co-workers who discussed their salaries. Women who sued their
employers for equal pay would have been eligible for damages matching
those granted under existing racial and ethnic discrimination laws.
The bill was created to address the statistical fact that women are
paid, on average, $.77 for every dollar earned by a male employee.
Minority women are subject to an even wider gap.
In short, the Paycheck Fairness Act
would ensure that men and women were receiving equal pay for equal
work. It's hard to believe anyone would rally against such a thing,
but that's exactly what Senate Republicans did on Tuesday. Their
filibuster successfully defeated the bill, as every single GOP
senator present cast a “nay” vote. Perhaps the saddest statement
of all is that among their ranks were five female senators. Each one
has the privilege of being paid the same rate as her male colleagues,
yet they all declined to offer that same privilege to their
constituents.
What does it say about these so-called
public servants that they are willing to vote against their sisters
in order to appease their party? If you ask me, it says that simply
electing women isn't enough. We need to elect women who respect
women.
As if the defeat of equal wages just
wasn't enough of an attack on women's rights for the week, a massive
piece anti-abortion legislation flew through a Michigan House
committee on Thursday and is expected to pass through the rest of the
House early next week. If passed, the bill will criminalize
terminations past 20 weeks gestation allowing only a narrow exception
for the mother's life (but not for her health nor for fetal defects).
It will also place excessive restrictions upon doctors and patients
in the state.
Political analysts say that the bill is
an attempt to strictly limit abortion without violating Roe v. Wade;
the restrictions themselves are likely to force many clinics to close
their doors. Circumventing the absolute legality of abortion by
eliminating access to it is the latest tactic in the anti-choice war
on bodily autonomy.
We could look at this past week and see
two big news events that have nothing to do with one another, or we
could look at them and see them as calls to action. The War on Women
is on-going and taking many forms. We need to fight back against
each attack or risk losing the rights we've worked so hard to obtain.
Volunteer or donate today to help We are Woman make a strong
statement now and in Washington this fall.
