Independent Women's Forum Says Senator John Kerry Wrong on Wage Gap

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Independent Women's Forum decries
 presidential candidate John Kerry's use of the misleading statistics about the
 wage gap.
     "This statistic ignores many factors that affect a worker's take-home
 pay," says Carrie Lukas, Director of Policy at the Independent Women's Forum.
 "Women take more time out of the workforce than men to care for their families
 -- obviously that is going to affect their pay compared to workers who work
 continuously."
     Several recent studies that took factors like years of education and
 experience into account found a considerably smaller wage gap between men and
 women. One such study found on childless men and women aged 27 to 33 found
 that women in that group earned 98 cents for very every male dollar.
     "Women often have different criteria than men in evaluating job
 opportunities.  In one survey of working women three-quarters reported that
 flexibility is 'very important' when considering a job," said Lukas.  "Women
 are sometimes willing to trade dollars for flexibility and time off, which is
 a choice they should be able to make."
     Certain feminist organizations have proposed to "fix" the wage gap by
 requiring businesses to report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
 their process for setting and adjusting wages.
     "If the wage gap is a product of women's choices, then attempts to 'fix'
 the wage gap are going to backfire on women," said Lukas.  "Plans to have the
 government micromanage pay scales mean that many companies would likely simply
 no longer offer the very flexibility that is so important to many women.  That
 would be a step in the wrong direction."
     "It's a shame that Senator Kerry is trying to convince women they are
 victims in order to win votes," said Lukas.  "Women shouldn't fall for this
 tired line."
 
     The Independent Women's Forum has written extensively on women and work
 place issues including Women's Figures: An Illustrated Guide to the Economic
 Progress of Women in America.  Today, IWF Director of Policy Carrie Lukas has
 an op-ed on this topic on National Review Online at
 http://www.nationalreview.com.  For more information on the wage-gap, please
 go to http://www.iwf.org
 
     CONTACT:  Louise Filkins of the Independent Women's Forum,
 +1-202-419-1820.
 
 

SOURCE  Independent Women's Forum