On Equal Pay Day, Valley women highlight how far there is to go

On a day designed to bring awareness to the discrepancy between what men and women make in the U.S. workplace, the far-reaching consequences of such inequality — including domestic violence, poverty and lower chances of success — found the spotlight.

"Violence against women costs about $4.9 billion in the U.S. annually. 70% of this comes from direct medical costs, 15% from lost productivity, and 15% from lost earnings over women's lifetimes," said Diane Simovich, president of a women's networking organization. "Our goal is to bring women together to gain meaningful business connections, learn new ways to succeed, and foster an empowering environment."

On Tuesday, she was among speakers from the YWCA Bethlehem and Allentown and other area female leaders who spoke out at Bethlehem Area Public Library to bring awareness to Equal Pay Day and the issues surrounding income inequality, as well as efforts to help close that gap. According to the American Association of University Women, the median annual pay of all women who work full time and year-round is 80% of what the same group of men make. That discrepancy is marked by Equal Pay Day, which originated in 1996 and symbolizes how far into the year women must work to equal what men earned in the previous year.

"It is long past time for women and men to earn the same pay for doing the same work, full stop," Lehigh Valley Congressman Susan Wild —one of four women who are part of Pennsylvania's previously all-male delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives — said in a video message. "If we are serious about ensuring our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons, about combating discrimination in our society and about building a future where words like justice and equality are a reality for all, then we need to fix this unacceptable systemic disparity immediately."

Turning Point of Lehigh Valley Executive Director Lori Sywensky discussed how poverty and income inequality can lead to women being forced to stay in an abusive relationship.

She cited full-time Lehigh Valley jobs that don't reach $20/hour, leaving workers without enough money to pay for a two-bedroom apartment in the Lehigh Valley, or requiring them to work second and third shifts or on weekends, making it hard to get child care. These hurdles, she said, can lead victims to feel dependent on an abuser for financial support.

Turning Point advocates for laws giving domestic violence victims time off from work without penalty for counseling, medical needs, legal services and court dates. They also advocate for working hours compatible with child care resources.

Amanda Porter, vice president of transgender support group Renaissance Lehigh Valley, said data shows the role gender plays in income disparity.

"Studies have found that the earnings of female transgender workers fell by nearly one-third following their gender transitions," she said. "Interestingly, those same studies found that the earnings of male transgender workers slightly increased following their transition. Given the high rates of discrimination in hiring, firing, and wages that gay, lesbian and transgender workers experience on the job, we need stronger laws and policies in place to ensure that all workers have equal workplace protections under the law no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity."

It's not just low-paying jobs where the problem exists, speakers said. Society of Women Engineers Lehigh University Section President Annaliese Cunniffe focused on inequality in the engineering field and other STEM disciplines.

She said 74% of girls express an interest in STEM, but only 6.7% go on to graduate with a STEM degree. Cunniffe also detailed findings showing female STEM professionals often occupy fields with average starting salaries of $40,000 while more male-dominated STEM disciplines can earn more than $20,000 more than hat.

"These findings suggest that even when inspiring young girls into the STEM field, we are still pointing them toward less-valued disciplines," Cunniffe said.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's Women's Business Council is working to lead women to better pay, President Carla Hickey said, pointing to monthly luncheons to promote professional development and networking and a Women2Women mentoring program.

"We empower hundreds of Lehigh Valley women each year to accelerate their personal careers, to make positive impacts at their companies, and to lean in to leadership at work, at home and in the community," Hickey said.