VOA慢速英語: 游行者目的還是希望男女工資待遇平等

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Activists gathered in New York City this week to callattention to a problem that has existed for a long time: the pay difference between American men and women.

The United States Congress took steps to fix theproblem back in April 1963, when it passed the EqualPay Act. The law requires US businesses to paywomen and men the same wage for equal work. But onaverage, women today still earn 22% less than men.

For women of color, the difference is even greater.African-American women earn 36% less; Latinas earn44% less.

In 1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, but more than 50 years later, gender pay inequality still continues. On Tuesday, Equal Pay Day, advocates and supporters in New York gathered to call for action.

The difference in pay costs women nearly $450 billion ayear in lost wages.

Improving economic fairness

Beverly Neufeld set up a group called PowHer NY toimprove economic fairness. She says the averagewoman has to work 15 months every year to makewhat an average white man makes in 12 months. That difference is, in herwords, “a lot of bread” – another word for money.

Activists point out economic fairness is not an issue that concerns onlywomen. Martha Kamber is head of the Young Women’s Christian Associationin Brooklyn, New York. She says if women cannot earn enough money tosupport their families, the whole community suffers.

And in the United States, where single mothers lead one fourth of all homes, the pay difference has an especially big effect on children.

Last January, President Barack Obama asked Congress to pass a law thatstrengthened economic fairness between women and men. But the federalgovernment has not been successful in that aim. So some state governmentsare taking action.

The New York State Assembly is expected to pass the Equal Pay Bill thisyear. It will protect employees who discuss their earnings with others.Representative Michelle Titus proposed the bill. She says the protection isimportant because employers usually bar workers from comparing how muchmoney they make.

Robert Cornegy, a New York City council member, is also urging change. Hetells his daughters every day that if they work and study hard they canachieve anything and be recognized fairly. He says he does not want to tellthem a lie.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

New York reporter Daniela Schrier prepared this story. Kelly Jean Kelly wroteit for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

wage – n. an amount of money a worker is paid based on the time he or she has worked

single mother – n. a parent who takes care of a child alone

achieve – v. to become successful; to reach or get something by hard work