Dear IWPR Supporters and Colleagues,

Today, we honor the laborers and unionists who bravely fought—and continue to fight—for dignity and justice for the American worker. It is because of their efforts that we recognize workers’ rights to be paid a fair wage, work a 40-hour week, be assured safe and healthy working conditions, and organize for better benefits.

And it is with dignity and justice in mind that the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) works to ensure women have the data and research they need to secure equal pay. As Chair of the Board for IWPR, I am proud to be part of this organization, and proud of the important role we play in promoting equity and opportunity.

Along with the rest of the country, I was excited by the success of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team during the World Cup this summer—and outraged at the realization that the women’s team received just 7.5% of the men’s team’s World Cup prize winnings. This reminds us that we have a long way to go to achieve pay equity. Despite making up half of the workforce and receiving more college and graduate degrees than men, women still earn 80.5 cents for every dollar men make, and this pay gap is not set to close until 2059 (2055 for White women, 2119 for Black women, and 2224 for Hispanic women).

IWPR studies have consistently shown that pay equity is critical to combating poverty, improving income security for families, and promoting economic growth. In fact, achieving pay equity would cut poverty for working women in half and add a whopping $513 billion to the national economy.

Our elected representatives are increasingly recognizing the necessity of supporting equal pay to promote economic growth and are including pay equity policies in their platforms. This past April, North Carolina Governor Ray Cooper sought to shrink the wage gap by barring state agencies from looking at salary histories when hiring. The following month, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the “Equal Pay for Equal Work Act” into law, ensuring all workers will be paid fairly for the value of their work. Advocates on the ground in both states used data from IWPR’s Status of Women in the States project to advance these efforts forward.

This cause is about more than equal pay for equal work; it is also about equal opportunity for better paying jobs, for promotions, and for access to the education and training that open doors without the burden of crushing debt. Equal pay has been a recurrent issue in the presidential primary debates. Candidates have introduced proposals to combat the gender pay gap through policies ranging from paid family leave and child care subsidies to eliminating college debt and measures to combat gender discrimination.

Together, we can achieve equal pay for women. With your support, IWPR can continue its work promoting pay equity through groundbreaking research, policy analysis, and public education. As Chair of the Board of IWPR, I encourage you to make a donation this Labor Day to advance IWPR’s work on equal pay and honor the working women in your life.




Lorretta Johnson, Chair, IWPR Board of Directors
Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO






The Institute for Women's Policy Research conducts and communicates research to inspire public dialogue, shape policy, and improve the lives and opportunities of women of diverse backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences.




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Lorretta Johnson, IWPR
Institute for Women's Policy Research
1200 18th Street NW, Suite 301
Washington, DC 20036
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