Equal Pay Today
Equal Rights Advocates has been fighting for equal pay for 50 years at the state and federal levels, and across industries. Our work includes the Equal Pay Today campaign, which we co-founded with partners across the country to close the wage gap that most harms women of color and low-paid working women.
How We Fight for Equal Pay
Equal Rights Advocates challenges the legal, policy, and cultural barriers that have allowed the gender wage gap to persist. Together with Equal Pay Today partners, we recognize that pay discrimination is not a single issue struggle, which is why we work to also address occupational segregation, pay secrecy, pregnancy and caregiver discrimination, a lack of access to paid leave, wage theft, and an unlivable federal minimum wage.
View the 2023 Equal Pay Today Legislative Agenda
Join us!
The wage gap isn’t going to close itself. In fact, it’s barely budged in over 15 years. Working to provide equal pay and equal opportunity for women of color — who are subject to the biggest wage gaps — is the best and most necessary place to start. Here’s how you can help.
Closing the gender and race wage gap is going to take all of us. Join us: We create easy ways for you to take action, including writing, calling, or tweeting at your legislators. Sign up to join ERA’s Action Team to get actions sent straight to your email, including ways you can support bills to improve workplace justice and the economic security of women and families. We won’t send you more than one email per week.
Our Vision
- Employers paying women — and all people — fairly for their work.
- Transparency in pay without retaliation.
- An end to workplace segregation on the basis of gender and race/ethnicity.
- Elimination of unfair workplace practices that adversely affect low-income women and women of color.
- Fair treatment of pregnant workers and workers with care-giving responsibilities.
- A local, state, and federal minimum wage that meets the needs of working people and families.
- Expansion of other workplace practices and policies that meet the needs of the modern economy and worker, including women.
- A strong base of support — including women of color, low-income women, young people and business owners — that promotes women’s economic equality.
Our Strategy
- Public mobilization, organizing and strategic communications, with a focus on young people, low-income women, and women of color.
- Policy reform and advocacy, including supporting and providing resources to state projects and developing an equal pay resource bank.
- Strategic legal enforcement and advocacy, including submitting amicus briefs in relevant cases.
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