WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement commemorating International Women’s Day.
“International Women’s Day gives communities across the globe an opportunity to reflect on the progress and the countless contributions that women have made to society,” said Senator Rosen. “Today, as we pause to celebrate the cultural, political, and scientific achievements of women around the world, let us also take a moment to commit to working together towards real gender parity in the form of economic justice, a fair and equal wage, access to a quality education, and the ability for women everywhere to make personal health care decisions.”
BACKGROUND: This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.”
Since arriving to Congress, Senator Rosen has been a champion for women’s rights and gender parity. Her bipartisan Building Blocks of STEM Act became law in December 2019. This bill aims to increase opportunities for young girls to pursue a STEM education by creating and expanding upon STEM education initiatives at the National Science Foundation (NSF) for young children, including new research grants to increase the participation of girls in computer science.
Senator Rosen is a co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen and close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
Last Congress, Rosen supported the House companion to the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 1869. In Nevada, women make on average 81 cents for every dollar a man makes. This adds up to an annual pay gap of thousands of dollars, and that gap is even wider for women of color, especially among Latinas who make an average of 54 cents for every dollar a white man makes.
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