Senator Clinton, Congresswoman Maloney and NYWA's Equal Pay Coalition NYC partners advocated for Pay Equitybefore a packed audience of advocates, students, and the media at a press conference on Monday, September 15th at Barnard.  Both New York Legislators called for better oversight of current laws citing a new Government Accounting Office (GAO) report that found the federal government is failing to adequately monitor enforcement of equal pay laws. They both also urged the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Act, The Paycheck Fairness Act and the Fair Pay Act to help close the wage gap.

"I am proud to be here today with Congresswoman Maloney and these amazing advocates who are still fighting to end the pay inequities that have shortchanged women and their families for far too long. I call on my colleagues to help us enact legislation that will help level the playing field for hardworking women in New York and across the nation," declared Clinton.  Maloney remarked"A woman shouldn't have to work 16 months to make what a man makes in a year. When you discriminate against a woman, you discriminate against her children and her husband."

Sharing the podium, EPCNYC partners reported compelling findings from the recent NY Women's Foundation research and the Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement Executive Director Merble Reagon described the difficulty New Yorkers - particularly women - face working fulltime but unable to support their families. Coalition member NOW NYC's president advised young women to prepare themselves with not only a good education, but good negotiate skills for the challenges of the workplace. Barnard's President Debora Spar invited the Coalition to continue the dialogue about Pay Equity on campus.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney on the need for stronger laws

EPCNYC member - WCECA's Merble Reagon

In her remarks, Mrs. Clinton thanked the Equal Pay Coalition NYC and NYWA for its work on Pay Equity. Beverly Neufeld, coordinator of NYWA's Equal Pay Coalition NYC commented, "Particularly in this economy, equal pay is more than a women's issue - it is a family pocketbook issue.As advocates working together to pass NYState and NYCity legislation, we thank Senator Clinton and Rep. Maloney for their leadership and enduring commitment to the passage of stronger federal fair pay laws."

Bev Neufeld's interview on WomensRadio about Pay Equity and NYWA

PBS - September 19 -"Women, Power and Politics: A Rising Tide? Tune in to a special hour-long episode of NOW on PBS, airing September 19, which was conceived by and is hosted by Maria Hinojosa, mother, senior correspondent, and friend of NYWA and the Equal Pay Coalition NYC.

Entitled "Women, Power and Politics: A Rising Tide?", it explores the influence of women leaders around the globe, that of generations of girls to come, and why the U.S. lags behind the rest of the world, even given the prominence of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. It's also Maria's personal journey as she strives to answer the question: "What does to mean to have women in power?"

The Economic Status of Women in New York - new research by the NY Women's Foundation. Did you know that Women in New York are more likely to be poor now than they were at the end of the 80s? That they fare worse economically than they did in 1989? The report, researched and authored by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR), examines how women in our state fare in two areas: employment and earnings and social and economic autonomy. While the report finds substantial potential for women's economic progress, it also depicts a stark and alarming portrait of poverty in a wealthy society, particularly for women of color. For the report

Ana Oliviera, ED NY Women's Foundation, discussing new research