Today, women in the workforce, especially women of color, continue to face high rates of pay discrimination, which can follow them throughout their lives. Not only are women paid less for doing the same work as men, women are typically segregated into lower-wage jobs where they face higher rates of workplace violations, including sexual harassment and wage theft. While pay discrimination can sometimes be difficult to identify, New York has passed a series of laws that workers can use to challenge unequal pay.
Workplace Equality and Economic Empowerment
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Letter submitted by Legal Momentum with signatures from 39 national and New York State women's community organizations in support of the Raise Up New York minimum wage package (S1978A/A2204). The bill would raise and index the minimum wage across New York State.
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Legal Momentum submitted written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 28, 2023 in full support of SJ Res 4 and affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment’s validity.
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Our 2023 Action Agenda outlines the six key legislative priorities on which we believe we can achieve progress and on which we will focus our advocacy resources throughout the coming year: • Advancing pay equity through pay transparency • Increasing women’s economic security by increasing the minimum wage • Ensuring equality under state and Federal constitutions • Ending nonconsensual drug-testing of pregnant patients • Ensuring enforcement of Title IX for all students • Expanding employment protections for survivors
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Seher Khawaja, Deputy Legal Director and Senior Attorney for Economic Empowerment at Legal Momentum, provided expert testimony at the New York Department of Labor panel on the impact of COVID-19 on women in the workforce. The testimony highlighted three critical priorities: (1) uplifting the disproportionate number of women in low-wage work; (2) addressing the harms of unpaid and underpaid care work; and (3) meaningfully advancing pay transparency. Read the full testimony below:
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Introduction
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On September 15, Legal Momentum Senior Attorney for Economic Empowerment, Seher Khawaja, delivered expert testimony at a public hearing held by New York State's Department of Labor about the state's Sexual Harassment Prevention Model Policy. The panel was lead by New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, New York State Division of Human Rights Commissioner Maria L. Imperial, and Counsel to the Governor Elizabeth Fine.
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A legislative advocacy framework for women's economic equality and a checklist to assess progress at the local, state, and national levels.
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Memorandum submitted to New York Governor Kathy Hochul to strongly urge her to sign A.10477/S.9427A into law without amendment.
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December 2nd, 2021, Senior Attorney Seher Khawaja delivered oral and written testimony on Int. No. 1208 and the benefits of pay transparency laws to New York City Council's Committee on Civil and Human Rights.
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Find our last LM in Action for Equal Pay Day!