ZONTA ADVOCACY: 2016 District 7 Seminar

Advocacy in Zonta’s Strategic Plan Zonta includes advocacy in it’s objectives and mission statement: Mission: Zonta International is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy. Objectives: To improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women at the global and local level through service and advocacy.

Living Up to our mission Advocacy must be based on Zonta’s objects and adopted resolutions. Zonta strongly advocates for: Women’s rights; Gender sensitivity in drafting and implementing laws; Increasing women in decision-making positions; and Preventing violence against women.

Zonta’s definition of advocacy Zontians are encouraged to support legislation that advances: The Beijing Declaration; The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); The Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030); and Other UN conventions.

Rules governing 501(c)4 organizations All Zonta clubs are registered as 501(c)4 organizations under the Tax Code -- they must operate primarily to further the general welfare of the people of the community by working to bring about social and civic improvements. As a 501(c)4 organization, Zonta clubs don’t have to pay taxes on income, donations that we receive are tax deductible and we can keep our donors anonymous. As a 501(c)4 organization, Zonta Clubs can engage in unlimited lobbying so long as it pertains to Zonta’s stated mission.

Goal 2: zi is a leading advocate for women’s rights All advocacy actions must be in-line with Zonta’s strategic plan and have a measurable impact: Clubs may cooperate with other organizations; Clubs are encouraged to take action at the national level by cooperating across district borders; and Clubs should engage men as partners for gender equality. ZI uses its status as an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations to ensure equality and a life free of violence for all women.

How clubs can develop an advocacy plan Connect ZI advocacy issues to national and local issues by: Identifying a ZI advocacy issue that your club is interested in; Exploring how the issue applies at the local, area and district level; Determining the relevant facts; Identifying the most efficient way to act on the issue; Proposing remedies – legislative remedies at the city, county, state and federal levels, or other actions; and Raising awareness of the issue and the proposed remedy.

U.S. Equal pay legislation Globally, women earn on average 24% less than men. Women earn just half the income men earn over a lifetime. Women working full time in the United States typically are paid just 79% of what men are paid, a gap of 21% --- and its even worse for women of color. The gender pay gap starts just one year out of college and the damage only gets worse over the course of a career, which is why its crucial to establish a fair salary early in a career.

Equal Pay Act of 1963 Prohibits an employer paying wages to women at a rate less than the rate at which he pays wages to men for equal work on jobs which require equal skill, effort and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions. Exceptions to the rule where the pay rate is based upon: A seniority system; A merit system; A system which measures earnings by the quality or the quantity of production; or A differential based on a factor other than sex.

JFK Signing equal pay act

Equal Pay act of 1963 The word “equal” in “equal work” does not require that the jobs must be identical, only that they are substantially equal. In comparing two jobs, the EEOC looks at the actual job duties, not job titles or classifications. Wages include more than just hourly or annual pay – it also includes bonuses, company cars, expense accounts, insurance, etc. An employer can’t lower the wages of some employees to make wages equal.

Equal pay now!

Lilly ledbetter fair pay act of 2009 Overturned a law which severely restricted the time period for filing discrimination regarding pay. Act states that each paycheck that contains discriminatory pay is a separate violation regardless of when the discriminatory pay began. The time period for filing a charge with the EEOC is: Within 2 years of the unlawful pay practice; or Within 3 years of a willful violation.

President obama signing fair pay act

Paycheck fairness act Federal law proposed, but not passed in U.S. Congress. Purpose: to provide more effective remedies to victims of wage discrimination. Despite the EPA, women continue to earn significantly lower pay than men for equal work in both the private sector and in government.

Paycheck Fairness Act EPA provided that a wage differential could be based on “any other factor than sex.” PFA substitutes “any bona fide factor other than sex, such as education, training or experience.” The factor (1) cannot be based on a sex-based difference in compensation, (2) must be job-related, and (3) must be due to business necessity. Enhanced penalties include punitive damages if the employer acted with malice or reckless indifference.

State pay equity laws Pay equity laws have passed in California, Massachusetts, New York and Maryland. Massachusetts’ law was signed into law by the governor just last month and goes into effect on July 1, 2018. Law’s goal is to prevent women from being stuck in a cycle of low salaries. Wages must be the same for “comparable work.” Forbids employers from paying any employee a salary or wage rate less than the rates paid to an employee of a different gender for comparable work.

Massachusetts pay equity act Variations in pay are not prohibited if based upon: 1) The geographic location in which the job is performed; 2) Education, training or experience related to the specific job; 3) Travel which is a regular and necessary part of the job; 4) A seniority system (however time spent on leave due to pregnancy or to protected family and medical leave cannot reduce seniority); 5) A merit system; or a system which measures earnings by the quantity or quality of production, sales or revenue.

Massachusetts pay equity act Its unlawful for an employer to: Require that an employee not ask about, discuss or disclose information about their own wages or another employee’s wages; Ask the wage or salary history of prospective employees or their former employers; or Discharge or retaliate against any employee because the employee filed a complaint or lawsuit about pay discrimination, testified in an investigation or lawsuit about pay discrimination or disclosed his or her wages or discussed the wages of any other employee. ;

Massachusetts pay equity act Imagine a job application that asks an applicant to disclose how much she currently makes. If the salary turns out to be significantly less that what the company was prepared to offer, an employer might try to pay a lower wage. The applicant is put at a disadvantage by being offered a lower salary.

Massachusetts pay equity act The Massachusetts Pay Equity Act requires hiring managers to state a compensation figure up front – not based on what the applicant made in previous positions, but rather on her worth to the company hiring. Ensures that historically lower salaries paid to women and minorities do not follow them for their entire careers.

Massachusetts pay equity act An employer who pays an unlawful wage differential cannot reduce the wages or any employee to comply with the law. An employer who violates the law is liable to the employee for the amount of the employee’s unpaid wages and for an additional equal amount of liquidated damages. A company can defend itself against lawsuits if, within last 3 years, it took a look at its pay practices and took steps to eliminate wage differences based on sex. The Act takes effect on July 1, 2018.

What are the women’s empowerment principles? Seven steps to guide business on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. Principles emphasize the business case for corporate action to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Who developed the women’s empowerment principles? WEPs are the result of collaboration between the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). WEPs were adopted from the Calvert Women’s Principles and were originally developed in partnership with UNIFEM (now a part of the UN Women) launched in 2004.

Who can use the women’s empowerment principles? The WEPs were originally developed for the business community. Other civil society stakeholders, international organizations and governments have embraced WEPs. The principles are a tool for engaging with the private sector and a reference for reviewing their own policies and practices related to gender equality.

What is the Ceo statement of support for the women’s empowerment principles? CEO Statement of Support for the WEPs offers business leaders an opportunity to signal their support for the goal of advancing and empowering women. Signing the CEO Statements underscores that equal treatment of women and men is not just the right thing to do – it is also good for business and should be a corporate priority.

Women’s Empowerment Principles

The seven principles of women’s empowerment principles Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality. Establish company-wide goals and targets for gender equality and include progress as a factor in management’s performance reviews. Ensure that all policies are gender-sensitive, identifying factors that impact women and men differently.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and nondiscrimination. Equal pay, including benefits, for work of equal value. Ensure that workplace policies and practices are free from gender-based discrimination. Assure sufficient participation of women – 30% or greater – in decision-making. Offer flexible work options, leave and re-entry opportunities to positions of equal pay and status. Support access to child and dependent care by providing services and information to both women and men.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers. Provide safe working conditions and protection from exposure to hazardous materials, disclosing potential risks, including to reproductive health. Establish a zero-tolerance towards all forms of violence at work, including verbal. Strive to offer health insurance or other needed services and ensure equal access for all employees. Respect women and men workers’ rights to time off for medical care and counseling. Identify and address security issues, including the safety of women traveling for work.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES Promote education, training and professional development for women. Invest in policies and programs for open advancement of women at all levels and encourage women to enter non-traditional job fields. Provide equal opportunities for formal and informal networking and mentoring.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES Implement enterprise development, supply chain and market practices that empower women. Empower business relationships with women-owned enterprises, small businesses and women entrepreneurs. Support gender-sensitive solutions to credit and lending barriers. Ask business partners and peers to respect the company’s commitment to advancing equality and inclusion. Respect the dignity of women in all marketing and other company materials. Ensure that company products, services and facilities are not used for human trafficking and/or labor or sexual exploitation.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES Lead by example – showcase company commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. Work with community officials and others to eliminate discrimination and exploitation. Ensure opportunities for women and girls. Promote and recognize women’s leadership in their communities and ensure sufficient representation of women in any community consultation. Use philanthropy and grant programs to support company commitment to equality and human rights.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality. Make public the company policies and implementation plans for promoting gender equality. Measure and report on progress, both internally and externally, using data disaggregated by sex. Establish benchmarks that quantify inclusion of women at all levels.

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES Currently, there are 1299 companies that are using the Women’s Empowerment Principles. Where can we go as a District, Area or Club to get business interested in looking at these principles?

Advocacy agenda District advocacy chair will send clubs advocacy materials throughout the year: September 2016 – The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals November 2016 – Eliminating Violence Against Women December 2016 – Equal Pay for Women January 2017 – Women’s Empowerment Principles March 2017 – Adopting the UN’s Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) May 2017 –Stopping the Trafficking of Women and Girls

Questions or comments?