Kirsten Gillibrand: 'The American Dream Is Not True for So Many Women'



The second day of the 5th Annual Women in the World Summit brought more women's issues to the forefront, including the lack of female representation in Congress and the need to raise the minimum wage, topics touched on by U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)  and Susan M. Collins (R-Maine). The senators shared the stage to chat with moderator Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments.

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When asked about the difference between the attitudes of men and women who are running for office, Collins shared this example: “I always hear women say, 'I’m not ready,' ... If a woman is running for office, she feels she has to have a PhD in international economics to talk about trade policy. A man just feels he needs to drive a Honda.”
 
When Hobson asked, “Kirsten, did you ever feel you weren’t ready?” Gillibrand quickly answered, “Not me! Women are made differently [than men], and because of those differences, we can offer something unique. Why are less women running for office?” She pointed to Rosie the Riveter, a cartoon cultural icon for feminism in the United States during World War II. After being shown the image, Gillibrand continued, “Six million women entered the workforce, and they did it because they were needed. If we had 51 percent of women in Congress, we wouldn’t have spent the last four years debating contraception…we would be getting things done. So if you want to fix Washington, elect more women.”


Later, the women discussed minimum wage (currently $7.25 per hour), which actually affects more women than men. Will increasing it lead to less job growth?

"I believe if you increase by too much too rapidly, the evidence is overwhelming. … It will lead to the loss of 500,00 jobs. On the other hand, imagine trying to get by on just minimum wage as it is currently at $7.25 per hour? There is a middle ground we can strike," Collins said.

“Two-thirds of minimum wage earners are women. If we raise the wage, it will bring 17 million women to a place where they can afford to provide for their families,” Gillibrand said. She also shared this scary stat: A woman working on minimum wage earns $15,000 per year. If she works full time — that’s 40 hours per week — and has two kids, she winds up $3,000 below the poverty line. “We have always told people that the American dream means working hard to get to middle class. But women, they are stuck, not with glass ceilings, but with sticky floors. The low-wage earner, she doesn’t have affordable daycare and has to miss work for her kids’ sick days. If she misses work, she doesn’t get promoted. … The American dream is not true for so many women.”

Watch the full conversation in the video above.

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