Gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem today and a percentage of the wage discrepancy cannot be explained by non-discriminatory factors, said government and private experts at a public forum held on April 28, 2011 at the headquarters of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). 

The forum was one of 24 such events the EEOC is sponsoring across the country during April and May to raise awareness of the problem of wage discrimination and to educate the public.  The Commission is a key member of the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, launched by President Obama to “improve compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws.”  The headquarters event featured leaders from other Task Force members including the Departments of Justice and Labor, and the Office of Personnel Management.

“We have come a long way since the days when gender-based inequities in access to jobs and payment of wages were sanctioned by law, but studies show that a significant portion of the wage disparity cannot be explained by differences in experience, specific work performed, education or other non-discriminatory factors,” said EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien.  “This persistent disparity is a stark reminder that the EEOC’s work to end every form of sex discrimination in the workplace — including compensation discrimination — is still unfinished business.”

Katherine M. Kimpel, a partner in the law firm Sanford Wittels & Heisler, kicked off the second panel by stating that if women think they are being paid equitably in their jobs, unless they have looked at the relevant data, the likelihood is that they are not. She said that many times women had come to consult her about other discrimination issues, insisting that pay was not a problem, only to find out later that they were being underpaid.

Serena Fong of Catalyst, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for women in business, said that there is a gender leadership gap as well as a pay gap. She noted that over 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies have male CEOs, and that the salary studies conducted by Catalyst show that women at these companies start off with salaries $4,600 less than men, even accounting for differences in education and experience.

Cecelie Counts, the legislative representative of the AFL-CIO, told the group that it’s important not to forget the lowest wage earners — day care workers, cleaners, aides — for whom the wage gap has an even more pronounced impact.  According to Lisa Maatz, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations of the American Association for University Women (AAUW), one way to try to combat the wage gap is through legislation.  She regretted the failure of the Paycheck Fairness Act to pass during the last Congress, but noted that the bill had been reintroduced in the Senate and House.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.