President Fields CLT Women Questions on Pay Gap

Courtney Francisco,

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CHARLOTTE, NC — President Obama fielded questions at the Uptown library ImaginOn from Charlotte women and bloggers.
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“As a mother of two daughters, how would you suggest I best empower them to work hard, get a good education, if they know from the outset they’re going to be paid less than their male counterparts?” asked Charlotte Orthopedic Nurse Ashley Taylor.
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Women make 78 cents on the dollar compared to a man, according to a Pew Research and White House study. African American women earn 64 cents on the dollar, and Latin women earn 54 centsΒ 
on the dollar.
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That was the common theme throughout the President’s visit with 50 women bloggers on tax day.
Lisa Stone, CCO of lifestyle media platform “She Knows”, moderated the discussion.
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“I do feel like Americans are being systematically robbed,” said Stone. “When you take dollars out of a woman’s paycheck or you underpay her, you’re taking money out of the wallets of men and children.”
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The President appealed to what he says are the nonpartisan aspects that unequal pay undoubtedly leaves the government with less money, families with less money and children with less money.Β 
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“I guarantee you, the majority of Republican voters, they support equal pay for equal work,” said President Obama. “But when it gets to Congress, somehow it becomes a political issue.”
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Congress failed for the fourth time last April to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
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“Some of them dispute that it’s a problem. They say it’s a woman’s choice,” said President Obama.Β 
As a Charlotte Orthopedic Nurse, Taylor says men her line of work typically make $5,000 more than a female nurse.
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“We work just as hard,” said Taylor.
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Mayor Dan Clodfelter listened in the front row.
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“We see it everywhere. I think the city has done a really good job at trying to address pay equality in the city’s positions,” said Clodfelter. “Problem is, we don’t see that spread across the whole economy.”
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“What we need to do is just build a movement,” said President Obama.

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