This means Native women have to work almost twice as much to earn what their White male counterparts make. This leads to hundreds of thousands in lost wages over the course of a career. Closing this gap is critical to improve the economic well-being of Native women & their families.

I also had the honor of speaking at the Council for Tribal Employment Rights conference in Tulsa. The EEOC's collaboration with Tribal Nations is critically important. I discussed successful EEOC cases involving Native workers & our commitment to tribal sovereignty & consultation.

My summer was full of enriching conversations with groups across the country. As part of the U.S. EEOC's REACH Initiative, I visited Birmingham & Philly to hear from local advocates & workers about the unique barriers they face at work & how the EEOC can better meet their needs.

Yesterday was Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day. As of 2023, NHPI women working full time, year-round earned 65 cents for every $1 paid to White, non-Hispanic men. This disparity is often hidden by aggregated pay data of AANHPI women generally.

Last year, the U.S. EEOC reached an $80,000 settlement with a healthcare company that paid a woman less than her male coworkers for performing equal work, despite her excellent credentials & performance history. Pay inequities add up & equate to less money for childcare, rent, & more.

Today is #EqualPayDay - a yearly reminder that the fight for wage justice persists. Typically, women make 75¢ for every dollar men make. In 2023, the gender wage gap widened for the first time in 20 years. The gap is even worse for women of color.