CLEVELAND — Tuesday, Aug. 15 was Mothers’ Equal Pay Day, a day to bring awareness of an existing wage gap existing between working mothers and working fathers.
The National Women’s Law Center said that full-time working mothers make around $18,000 less annually than working fathers.
All mothers are working, whether it’s a career or managing responsibilities at home.
Mary Kay Ziniewicz, a working mother, said that 86% of females become moms and that 43% of women exit their careers after their first child is born. Which is why she started Bus Stop Mamas, a workforce tool for mothers that want to re-enter the workplace.
“Employers gain access to off-market talent that happen to be moms. Moms who left their career to care for their children,” she said.
She said that it can come at a price.
“We have the lowest fertility rate ever because there’s nothing in it for us. It’s a losing model for women. You have a baby, you decided to do that, now you take a step back in your career. You’re going to make less money because of it,” she said.
This is why many mothers can’t afford to go back into the workforce. Bethany Studenic with Enlightened Solutions explained.
“There are a lot of women that the reason they aren’t going back is in part that they’re not being paid enough to cover child care costs,” she said.
Working moms make 74 cents for every dollar that a working father makes and Mothers’ Equal Pay Day is meant to bring awareness to the issue.
