In 2016, women in North Carolina continue to receive unequal pay for the same classification of work that their counterparts receive. Women contribute to our state and country; we are your mothers, daughters, sisters, and family members that lead in our homes, corporations, small businesses, and in government all across the world. We are in the 21st century, yet women continue to be devalued and incapable of making vital decisions on our healthcare choices and the determinant of our destinies. The explicit biases that persist can be eliminated by creating policies that allow us to empower ourselves. We are qualified to determine our own destiny.
Women lead most single-family homes in North Carolina. Women obtain more college degrees than their counterparts obtain and still earn sometimes $10,000 to $15,000 a year less than their counterparts earn. Women and children lead in poverty. We can fix this by simply creating a policy that enforces equal pay for equal work for all citizens.
North Carolina can be a leader in the country by recognizing that human value is connected to one’s self-identity and determination, not to their gender. We must be fair, inclusive, and diverse in order to accomplish a more unified society.