Title
To Designate July 27th, 2023 as Black Women’s Equal Pay Day in the City of Columbus and Recognize the work of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Central Ohio Chapter
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WHEREAS, it is estimated that on average Black women make $0.58 for every $1.00 earned by White men; and
WHEREAS, this discrepancy in pay can cost Black women upwards of $900,000 in lost earnings over the course of a 40-year career; and
WHEREAS, Black women are faced with a unique burden: they are impacted by both a pervasive racial income gap and gender-based pay disparities; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 impacted many families, including financially, but Black women have shouldered a disproportionate share of the burden. In 2020, the unemployment rate for Black women peaked at 16.6%, and in August 2022, that rate decreased to 5.9%, 2.8 percentage points higher than their White male counterparts; and
WHEREAS, this pay inequality has a multitude of secondary effects, including food insecurity, the perpetuation of the racial and gender wealth gap, financial precarity, and housing insecurity; and
WHEREAS, recent estimates have shown that single Black women own $200 in wealth for every $28,900 single White men own, a staggering disparity that is due in part because of pay inequality; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Women’s Commission is hosting a “Black Women’s Equal Pay Signing Event” to secure commitments from business leaders and organizations across the city to work towards eliminating pay disparities among their workers; and,
WHEREAS, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Central Ohio Chapter, or NC100BWCOC, has dedicated itself to the mission of promoting leadership development and gender equity in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment for Black women and girls; and,
WHEREAS, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Central Ohio Chapter, or NC100BWCOC has been a major contributor to the pay equity movement in Central Ohio through initiatives like their annual Trailblazer Honors and Scholarship Awards Gala and their public policy advocacy efforts ; Now, therefore, be it: and,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council designates July 27th, 2023 as “Black Women’s Equal Pay Day” in the City of Columbus and encourages Columbus residents to observe the month with appropriate awareness and educational activities.