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Analysis

As We Celebrate Equality Day, What Role Does Manufacturing Play?

August 26, 2020, marks the 100th anniversary of Equality Day, which celebrates the passage of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The 19th amendment states that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” At that time, around 30 million women became voters, which was the largest expansion of voting rights in U.S. history. So what progress has been made?

One hundred years ago, one-fifth of U.S. women were working outside the home, with approximately 50% of those women in the industrial sector, mostly in textile and garment production. Today, women make up approximately one-third of the manufacturing workforce, and 46% of the American workforce overall, with 70% of those women working mothers.

Let’s look at the pay gap. In recent U.S. Census Bureau data, working women earn 81.6 cents for every $1 a working man in the U.S. earns on average, along with almost $10,000 less in median annual earnings (and the disparity is greater for women of color).

While this issue is undeniably complex with economic, social, and familial factors, women still lose the earnings game. In fact, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research estimates it will take until 2059 to close the pay gap in the U.S. Globally, the United Nations estimates an additional decade to 2069 for parity.

Will these gaps extend as we weather the public health and economic crises we face today?

How does the role of caregiver affect careers? For women with families, many still have a larger share of caregiver responsibilities. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most schools and daycare options closed, and many remain closed, with women picking up more of the care duties. In The Wall Street Journal, University of California Hastings College of Law professor Joan Williams noted that without schools and childcare, it is a “recipe for a generational wipeout of mothers’ careers.”

The “Understanding Coronavirus in America Study” from the USC Center for Economic and Social Research found that in April 44% of women were the only caregiver, as opposed to 14% of men. A Boston Consulting Group study found that women were spending 15 additional hours per week on domestic work since COVID-19, aka the “second shift” expanding. This is also having a toll on women’s mental health, with working mothers reporting the highest levels of distress at 34%, compared to 30% of women without children, and 19% of men with or without children.

What can you do to help? Manufacturers need to work harder than ever before to accommodate working parents navigating the “new normal,” and also understand the new laws and regulations as they try to balance productivity and employee support.

“Stronger together” isn’t just a marketing term. Supporting your employees’ mental and emotional health during the pandemic is critical. Creating strong diversity and inclusion programs will help install a system that supports women and minorities at your organization. As we continue to navigate the immediate and long-term effects of this pandemic and economic crisis, it’s important to try to help each other from both corporate and personal perspectives.

Now back to that 100th anniversary. Celebrate by exercising your right to vote. It’s difficult to pinpoint another election where voting is as contentious as it is in 2020. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the logistics of in-person and absentee (or vote by mail) options are both facing new obstacles and scrutiny. If you haven’t registered already, make sure to check out USA.gov for information on voter registration in your state.