National NOW Times >> Winter 2007  >> Article

Start a WAGE Club!

Despite the progress that women's rights advocates have made over the past 40 years, even now on average women are only paid 77 cents to men's dollar. Women in the workplace continue to face sexual harassment, are passed over for promotions in favor of men, and experience biased treatment based on marital and parental status. Such discrimination and harassment has an even greater impact on the wages of African American women and Latinas.

Every woman should know that she is not alone in her quest for workplace fairness. That's why NOW has partnered with The WAGE (Women Are Getting Even) Project in bringing together our chapters and members to initiate WAGE Clubs. Using tools developed by Dr. Evelyn Murphy, former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, WAGE Clubs offer women a resource for improving work environment and ending wage discrimination against women.

Groups of 5 to 20 women meet in homes, community centers, coffee shops, and churches to discuss steps they can take to close the wage gap. The ultimate goal is to create a national movement of women who confidently demand equal compensation in the workplace. Check out the Discussion Guide and suggestions for starting a WAGE Club in your community or as a chapter sub-committee or task force: www.wageproject.org.

WAGE Clubs offer NOW activists another tool to fight for women's full equality. As more activists join the movement to close the wage gap, NOW looks forward to seeing significant changes in how women are paid for their valuable work.

Take The WAGE Survey!