Contact: Christie Hobbs
Phone: (202) 419-1820


WASHINGTON, DC — The Independent Women’s Forum today decries feminists’ continual attempts to convince women they are victims of discrimination because women on average tend to earn less than men.


“Equal Pay Day propagates the myth that all women are helpless victims of discrimination. It ignores how the choices women make affect their pay,” said Nancy Pfotenhauer, president of IWF. “Knowledge is power. Knowing how their decisions determine their earnings gives women a roadmap to earning more money.


Feminist organizations have declared April 19 Equal Pay Day. Supposedly, women spend the first four months of 2005 making up for last year’s wage gap, and today, women have finally earned as much as men in 2004. Feminists claim that women earn about three-quarters of what men earn for equal work. But the Department of Labor data used to generate this statistic simply compares the median income of a full-time working woman to that of a full-time working man. It ignores important factors like occupation, number of years and hours worked, and education.


“Women tend to make lifestyle choices that are different than men,” Pfotenhauer continued. “Women take time out of the work force to care for children. Women gravitate toward careers that provide greater flexibility and require less travel and relocation. Women take fewer safety risks on the job. These are fine decisions, but they are decisions that mean that women on average will earn less money.”


While feminists attempt to convince women they are victims, the Independent Women’s Forum will educate women about how their decisions affect their pay. IWF is hosting a book forum on Capitol Hill with Dr. Warren Farrell, author of Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap – and What Women Can Do About It.


Dr Farrell — a former board member of the National Organization for Women’s New York City chapter — identifies decisions that individuals make when choosing jobs and reveals how, on average, men are more likely than women to make decisions that increase pay. Farrell argues it’s counterproductive for women to assume that they are defacto victims of discrimination. He presents 25 measurable ways for any woman to increase her pay if she is willing to make certain trade-offs.


The book discussion, open to the public, will be at noon in 1537 of the Longworth House Office Building.