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Transcript/Script Equal Pay Day -- WEB
HEADLINE: Equal Pay Day Reminder of Pay Disparity Between Men, Women
TEASER: Day marks how much further into the year women must work to get the same pay men received last year
PUBLISHED: 3/16/2022 at 12:00
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, Sharon Shahid
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP, AFP, Skype
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:26
VID APPROVED BY: wpm
TYPE: TV
EDITOR NOTES: Radio track included.))
((INTRO))
On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden marked Equal Pay Day, which this year falls on March 15th. The day symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned the previous year. White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
((NARRATOR))
In many sectors, including food industry and science, American women earn less than men. On average, an American woman makes only 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
The gap is even greater for Black women, Native American women, Latinas and certain subpopulations of Asian women.
((President Joe Biden))
“Today is Equal Pay Day!”
((NARRATOR))
On March 15th, President Joe Biden commemorated the day that symbolizes how long women must work to earn what men earned the previous year. In 2021, Equal Pay Day fell on March 24th.
The pandemic has hampered progress …
with women doing most of the family caregiving as they deal with children learning virtually and older family members losing access to care.
((President Joe Biden))
“I signed an executive order to promote efforts to achieve pay equality, pay equity for employees of federal contractors. It's my hope that this sets an example for all private companies to follow, as well.
((NARRATOR))
The actions Biden announced do not address the gender wage gap in the private sector. The Obama administration required large companies to report how much they pay workers by race and gender, but the Trump administration, under pressure from big business groups, halted the rule in 2017.
((Radio track: Vasu Reddy, senior policy counsel for economic justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families, via Skype))
((Vasu Reddy, National Partnership for Women & Families)) ((Skype)) “The Biden administration is analyzing the data that was collected from private companies to show that wage gaps by race and gender. This is hopefully the first step in getting that rule reinstated.”
((NARRATOR))
Also Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris, the first female American vice president, hosted an Equal Pay Day virtual summit attended by administration officials, athletes and CEOs.
((Kamala Harris, US Vice President)) “An economy that works for women works for everyone.”
((NARRATOR))
Some argue that mandating paid leave for new parents could help narrow the gender pay gap. The U.S. is the only developed nation in the world without a national paid parental leave program.
((Radio track: Adrienne Schweer, leader of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Paid Family Leave Task Force, via Skype))
((Adrienne Schweer, Bipartisan Policy Center))
“One in four women in America are said to go back to work within 10 to 14 days of giving birth, which is astonishing and awful. It is terrible for working women.”
((NARRATOR))
Biden’s proposed Build Back Better Act seeks to provide national paid family leave, but the massive $2 trillion social spending bill is struggling to gain approval in Congress.
Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News, Washington
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D. C.
Embargo DateMarch 16, 2022 00:27 EDT
BylinePatsy Widakuswara, VOA News, Washington.
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
