CORRECTION: The AAUW of Indiana co-president is Sherry Watkins. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated her last name as Watson. (2:45 p.m. MDT, March 12, 2024))

Today is Equal Pay Day for women in Indiana and elsewhere, marking the amount of time female employees must work every year to catch up with their male counterparts' salaries.

Currently, the average female worker is paid 84 cents for every dollar earned by a man working in a similar occupation, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. However, women in Indiana may have to work even longer - their average pay is only 77 cents on the dollar.

Sherry Watkins, co-president of the American Association of University Women of Indiana, points out that pay inequity ultimately affects more than just working women.

"One way to do that would be to ensure that women are making as much money as men in all fields. Although that is true in some fields, it's certainly not in all. It affects not only women but also their families and, therefore, the economy," Watkins said.

Each year, the Committee on Pay Equity calculates how many days women must work to gain parity and designates an Equal Pay Day based on its calculations. Statistics show that at the current rate of closure, the average woman's pay will not equal that of men until 2059.

While unequal pay is illegal under federal law, Watkins said the problem still exists, and the pay gap widens considerably for women of color. Statistics indicate Latina women average 52 cents per dollar, Native American women make 59 cents, and Black women earn 66 cents. Progress is still slow, she said.

"When I first became aware of it, women were making 59 cents to the dollar to a man, whereas now it's 84 cents. So, it has improved, but it's certainly not where it should be," Watkins argued.

She added said many factors contribute to earnings differences, including age, number of hours worked, presence of children, and education. She noted part of AAUW's mission is to work with lawmakers and employers to ensure women are paid fairly and have equal opportunities in the workplace.

South Dakota voters will soon decide on Amendment E, which would adjust language in the state Constitution for certain officeholders.

Amendment E would change the text of South Dakota's Constitution to remove generic male pronouns and replace them with the office names they refer to. A recent poll showed the initiative is unpopular among voters, despite wide support from state lawmakers.

Sen. Erin Tobin, R-Winner, sponsored the bill to put the question on the ballot. She said it is appropriate when South Dakota has its first woman governor and its highest number of women legislators to date.

"When the governor spoke at her State of the Union, she's using the word 'he' for her own position," Tobin pointed out. "It just makes more sense for her to be able to use 'the governor.'"

In a recent poll by South Dakota News Watch, only 30% of respondents said they would vote to pass the measure. The resolution passed unanimously in the South Dakota Senate and handily in the House. Gov. Kristi Noem signed a similar measure in 2023, which changed the language in codified laws, while surrounded by women and girls at the Capitol.

Opponents said it will cost taxpayers money but Tobin countered the Constitution undergoes "style and form changes," and reprints happen after a certain number of changes anyway.

"To say that it's going to cost any money, I think, is very misleading," Tobin argued. "If it does cost anything, it's going to be negligible."

Tobin added the amendment is primarily about celebrating women.


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Experts say a diverse workforce is crucial for creativity and social justice, and equally good for a company's bottom line. But reluctance to hire transgender workers remains high.

A study by UCLA showed the majority of nonbinary adults in the workforce are younger than age 35 and make less than $50,000 a year.

Toni Newman, board chair for the group Trans Can Work, cited research that shows diversity in the workplace helps everyone thrive.

"Different ethnic backgrounds, different gender, different race - diverse teams often outperform homogenous ones," Newman said, "as they can leverage a broader range of experience and skills."

Seventeen out of 50 states still maintain laws and policies that discriminate against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in the workplace. Those laws exist despite the Supreme Court's extension of federal protections to LGBTQ+ employees and Congress' passage of the 2021 Equality Act.

In recent years, New Mexico has advanced LGBTQ+ rights, including a law that removed loopholes allowing discrimination at the local government level.

Transgender individuals can face a variety of workplace challenges that impact their career trajectory. Newman said they often miss out on jobs that pay more or come with more responsibility - and are instead offered introductory positions.

"At the entry level - as a coordinator, an assistant, associate - but at the director level or above," Newman said, "the percentages get really, really, really, really small."

Sixty percent of transgender and nonbinary employees have reported discrimination or harassment in the workplace. When it comes to voting, nearly one-million trans adults are eligible to vote in next month's election, but at least 200,000 in more conservative states could face obstacles if their identification documents do not match their gender.

A new report highlighted girls in Indiana face higher rates of bullying and sexual dating violence compared to boys.

The 2024 Indiana Girl Report, produced by the Indiana Youth Institute, Girl Coalition of Indiana and Girl Scouts, emphasized the need for better mental health support and violence prevention in communities.

Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, said the report helps Hoosiers better understand all girls' experiences.

"It's good to say, 'this is what I know about those girls closest to me and how is that similar to or different from the experiences girls in other parts of our state are having,'" Silverman explained. "That's why the data is great because it really checks our own biases."

While girls in the state excel academically, particularly in reading, they also experience significant challenges. Nearly 17% of high school girls reported experiencing sexual dating violence and many struggle with mental health issues at twice the rate of boys.

In fact, Silverman pointed out the number of reports of bullying and sexual dating violence are increasing for girls in Indiana.

"Girls who report being bullied at school has gone up significantly," Silverman reported. "The number of female high school students who reported sexual dating violence in the past year is seven times higher than that for male students."

Schools are encouraged to implement trauma-informed practices and address issues like bullying and sexual harassment.

Silverman noted the report concludes with a call for policymakers to invest in mental health programs and address economic and racial disparities to improve the overall well-being of Hoosier girls.

"This is only the second time we've done this," Silverman added. "Last year's Girl Report was wonderfully well-received and many local areas did take this information to look at how might we better expand our services or change our services to make sure that girls are reaching their full potential."


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