On average, American women currently make 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. This disparity is even worse for women of color: African American women make 62 cents for every dollar earned by their white, male counterparts, Native women make 57 cents, and Latina women make 54 cents. Urge Congress to end this disparity by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Jewish tradition has long recognized the importance of paying fair wages. Leviticus 19:13 commands that, “You shall not defraud your neighbor. You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning.” Judaism also teaches that pay equity is more than solely a "women's issue." It is a labor, civil, and human rights issue as well. In a society that places so much emphasis on the idea that hard work leads to success, paying women less than their male counterparts signals that their work is worth less, and, as a result, that they are worth less. The Talmud reiterates the connection stating “one who withholds the wages of a hired laborer, it is as though they take their soul from them" (Baba Metzia 112a).
