It’s time for our Congress to wake up to some facts about America’s mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters. In America today, women are far less likely to have income from pensions or retirement savings, they’re more likely to leave the workforce to care for children or ill relatives and women still earn less than men for the same work – even though President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act more than 50 years ago. This income inequality makes it much more likely that older women will outlive their savings, receive a smaller Social Security benefit and fall into poverty. This is not the right direction for America, but women have a new opportunity to band together and demand that Congress work to pass bills that will boost Social Security and Medicare benefits (not cut them), establish caregiver credits in Social Security and ensure equal pay for equal work. Eleanor’s Hope, named for Eleanor Roosevelt, provides tools and information for women of all ages to join the movement to bring about change. I urge women and those who honor them to visit www.eleanorshope.org for details.
Mary Kay Kisseberth
Denver
