In the current labor market, some employers are taking steps to promote good will toward gay, lesbian and transgendered employees. However, with no federal and few state anti-bias laws, the programs could last only as long as the current boom.
In the best of times, women still don't fare as well financially as men, not by a long shot-and this hot economy proves it. True, women's wages have risen during the past two years, but they have only recovered ground lost in the past 20.
Prepare to weep and smile. This week, Women's Enews will host commentaries from brilliant writers on Beijing + Five, U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the war crimes trials at The Hague and the Republican and Democratic national conventions.
Paid parental leave has been the stuff of progressive dreams. Now, the thinking, researching and concrete planning are underway. Minnesota is one innovative planner and Massachusetts could enact a plan this year.
New studies indicate that while wage gaps between women and men in entry-level jobs are slight, working mothers are paid 70 cents for every dollar that men receive. For childless women, the gap is 10 cents on the dollar.
Federal assistance to millions of women caring for family members will be up for grabs after this fall's elections. Leading experts have a plan to expand welfare law to cover all who care for dependents.
Today, in what advocates hail as a major breakthrough, the government begins demanding federal contractors provide specific information about the wages of women and minorities.
