What You Probably Don't Know About the Women's Equality Agenda

If you're anything like me, you probably find the influx of all of these "acts", "agendas," and other hot topics in the news quite overwhelming.  It seems like everyone wants to shout about something these days, and who can keep track of it all?  Throughout most of my twenties I floated around in a haze of ignorant bliss, choosing not to be bothered by the rabble of politicians and lobbyists.

Until I woke up and started realizing that this stuff actually mattered.

I was too busy having fun and being self-absorbed to realize that I --in the 21st century-- still was not being treated fairly and with equality.  You may shake your head and say to yourself; no way, that cannot be true. Things are fine.  Well, you would be wrong.

I was astonished to find out that even today, women in New York earn between 55 and 80 cents for every dollar a man earns.  That's not speculation, that's a fact.

Women with children are less likely to be hired and/or promoted for a position if they have children, and in most cases, make a lower salary than men with children, if they are hired in the first place.

But here's where things get really crazy, because it's not just about pay equality.  In many cases, our safety and rights are directly affected.  For example:

• Women who work for very small companies-- with four employees or less-- can't file a lawsuit to stop sexual harassment.
• Landlords can legally evict or refuse to rent to victims of domestic violence; 85 percent of whom are women.
• Victims of sex and labor trafficking are often treated like the criminals, while the penalties for their abusers rarely fit the severity of the crime, and believe me, those crimes are horrifying.  Here's an excerpt from one story I read:

"I was involved in trafficking for more than six months. I compare that time to being held hostage in a timeless existence where my mind engaged itself in disassociation with my soul. This mental state was the only way in which I could keep any sanity. Repeatedly, I witnessed the beatings, rapes and murders of innocent women." --"A Survivor''s Story," StopHumanTraffickingNY

• There actually is no law on the books protecting pregnant women from being pushed out of their jobs if they need any modest workplace accomodations-- even simple things like an extra break, or perhaps a stool to sit on rather than having to stand behind a counter all day.
• New York abortion law fails to provide the same, comprehensive protections guaranteed in Roe v Wade, and is classified under the penal code instead of the health code. Tell me how that makes sense.

Overall, I would say our legislators have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to take NY out of the stone ages, or at the very least, out of the Mad Men days of Don Draper slapping behinds and calling ladies "toots."  There is absolutely no reason that violence against women or sexual harassment should ever be tolerated. Ever.

So could you do me a favor?  If you read this and thought, wow, that's not right, then utilize the links below to contact your legislators.  Make your voices heard, ladies. Stand up for your rights!

• Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Online
• NYCLU - Take Action; sign the petition!
• NARAL - Contact your representatives!