Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive last week aimed at securing equal pay for equal work for state employees.

“It’s pretty simple, women deserve equal pay for equal work,” Whitmer said. “Women in Michigan earn 78 cents for every dollar men make for doing the same job, and that gap is even wider for women of color. It’s time for that to change.”

The executive directive prohibits state agencies and departments from inquiring about a job applicant’s current or previous salaries until an offer of employment, which includes proposed compensation, is made. It also prohibits employers from getting that same information by searching public records or databases.

“All of us at Michigan Women Forward were very pleased to see Governor Whitmer’s executive order around pay equity,” Carolyn Cassin, CMF Michigan Grantmakers for Women and Girls Affinity Group (MGWG) co-chair and president and CEO, Michigan Women Forward (MWF) said. “She has made a strong statement that moving Michigan women forward is a priority for her administration. We applaud this first step and look forward to working with her and her team as MWF moves its women’s agenda pillar from solving the backlog of rape kits to taking on gender bias in the work place.”

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), a think tank which has shared research and data with CMF members at CMF’s Annual Conference, provides a snapshot of the gender wage gap issue on the national and state level.

Highlights of IWPR’s research:

• Michigan ranks 30^th in the country for employment and earnings for women, earning our state a “C” from the research group.

• Nationally, women earn 80 cents for every dollar a man earns.

• At our current pace, IWPR estimates women won’t receive equal pay until 2084.

• There are significant disparities facing women of color. IWPR’s research shows that nationally at our current pace, it will be 2224 before Hispanic women earn equal pay and 2119 for African American women.

We know it’s also an issue within philanthropic organizations. As GuideStar recently shared in a report the gender gap continues in the sector, with gaps of 4 to 20 percent in female nonprofit CEO compensation compared to their male counterparts.

The gender pay gap conversation has been elevated in recent years, particularly with the evolution of the annual Women’s March, as organizations, policymakers and others seek solutions.

“This is not just a women’s issue, it’s an economic issue that hurts working families,” Whitmer said. “This is about doing what’s right.”

CMF’s Michigan Grantmakers for Women and Girls Affinity Group (MGWG) has provided programming and dedicated meeting time to discuss this issue and ways philanthropy can help to move the needle.

Cassin said the affinity group hopes to work with the governor’s office to help support her women’s agenda.

“We are planning a March meeting with members of Governor Whitmer’s administration in Lansing to learn more about her agenda and design ways that our Women and Girls Affinity Group can support and assist with work that resonates with our group,” Cassin said. “We see the next four years as exciting opportunities to create real solutions for women and girls in Michigan and look forward to mobilizing our collective power and resources to get important work accomplished that improves the lives of women and girls in our state.”

Want more?

Check out IWPR’s Michigan Fact Sheet.

Join the Michigan Grantmakers for Women and Girls Affinity Group for their March 20^th meeting.