Peacekeeper Truth Serum Blog

In 1963 Congress passed the Equal Pay Act so that women and men were ensured the same pay rate for the same work; however, almost 50 years later, women are still making 76 cents to every dollar made by a man. The Paycheck Fairness Act was introduced in January 2009 by then-Senator Hillary Clinton and Representative Rosa Delauro to eliminate loopholes in the Equal Pay Act—and to eliminate the wage gap between genders.

 In January 2009, the Paycheck Fairness Act passed in the House of Representatives,  but not through the Senate.  On Wednesday, November 17, the Senate will vote again on this historic bill.

              We at PeaceKeeper are asking you to join us in telling the Senate to “Vote YES!” on the Paycheck Fairness Act.  Because of the pay gap, working women can lose up to one million dollars of hard-earned wages.  The average working woman in America loses $500,000-$1,000,000 over her entire lifetime;  that’s money that could feed an entire family for years, all lost because of wage discrimination.  In the new economy, the woman’s income has become as important as the man’s; without that extra money, entire families are suffering.

With the Fairness Act, corporate pay loopholes will disappear and businesses will need a legitimate reason for paying women less than men. The act will also stop employers from intimidating their employees into staying silent about their wages, so that female workers will understand how their pay corresponds to their fellow employees without fear of losing their jobs.

Here’s what YOU can do to support the Paycheck Fairness Act:

–Sign this petition to tell Congress to make the Paycheck Fairness Act a law!

–You can research more about equal pay advocacy by using this handy Equal Pay Toolkit.

–In support of the Paycheck Fairness Act, Peacekeeper has launched a light golden “Fairness Gloss,” which is perfect for all skin types.  Your purchase is donated to groups for equal pay advocacy!

–Since the Act will take effect 6 months after it passes, you can act now to start your workplace moving in the right direction!  Visit PeaceKeeper’s Paycheck Fairness Act page to find out more about the Act, how to research your fair wage, and more!

              What are some of your experiences with the wage gap?  Have you been a victim of pay discrimination?  Let PeaceKeeper know in the comments section below!

With Love,

The PeaceKeeper Team

(Writer:  Renee Estey.  Editor:  Jessica Smith. 

For more information about PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics, visit www.iamapeacekeeper.com.)

Mu Sochua, current opposition member of the Cambodian parliament and former Cambodian Minister of Women’s Affairs, is an inspiring example of what it means to be a woman in a man’s world.  She is currently one of the most influential figures in Cambodian politics, despite the endless abuse and discrimination aimed towards her gender.

Sochua was sent away from her home at the age of 18 in order to stay safe from the Vietnamese takeover of Cambodia.  An exile for 18 years, she learned English by listening to the Beatles earned a master’s degree in social work at the University of California-Berkeley.  In 1989, she returned to Cambodia with two small children and immediately set about creating a grassroots movement for women’s rights.  Throughout her political career, she has fought to provide equal opportunity in the workplace and to prevent violence and abuse in the home.  She has also fought against human trafficking, negotiating with several neighboring countries to Cambodia to stop the international slave trade.

Her efforts have gotten her a Leadership award from Hillary Clinton’s “Vital Voices” organization, nominated her for a Nobel Peace Prize, and her one of the most famous women in the Cambodian Parliament, but Mu Sochua’s livelihood has been challenged continuously.  During her 2008 election campaign, she protested a military general using government vehicles to campaign, and during the ensuing scuffle her blouse was ripped open.  Not long after, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a statement about an anonymous woman—clearly referencing Sochua– acting like a ‘gangster’ (in Cambodian, ‘strong leg’, a derogatory term for women), inciting trouble, and provocatively ‘rushing to embrace someone.’

Sochua promptly sued the Prime Minister for defamation; when she lost the case, Hun Sen lifted her parliamentary immunity—an unheard-of tactic—so that his administration could counter-sue for publicly criticizing him.  A court has ruled that she pay USD$4000; she has refused and could face prison.  The case is still in court today, as Sochua has appealed multiple times; the upcoming date for the verdict is April 17, 2010.

We at PeaceKeeper hope that Mu Sochua is able to fight for her right to speak out against the forces of injustice, and that one day soon she will obliterate the tide of abuse and discrimination that she has faced every step of her career.  In the meantime, you can support Mu Sochua and her campaigns at her official website, www.musochua.org.

With Love,

The PeaceKeeper Team

Despite the ever-increasing number of female lawyers and law students in Egypt, several important bodies of Egyptian government have continually refused to allow women into their ranks, disallowing thousands of intelligent, strong women to build a career in politics.  The Egyptian Council of State, a series of courts for settling administrative disputes, recently voted 334-42 against allowing females into the system.  Additionally, out of the 12,000 judges in Egypt’s judiciary system, 42 are women; the first was not even appointed until 2002.

The reasons behind this discrimination are equally reprehensible and assume that a woman’s role in life is inherently domestic.  When the Council of State refused admittance to several female law students, it did so on the grounds that “work in the Council is difficult, and a woman won’t be able to withstand this work, and it will conflict with her duties as a mother and wife.”  Many women have been disallowed from working as judges because Egyptian law requires a six-month maternity leave, and also because they are unable to leave behind their families to move between regional courts.

The response to the Council of State’s decision was overwhelmingly negative; due to the controversy surrounding the vote, the Council has postponed appointing any candidates—male or female—to judicial positions until they can create a committee to find a solution.  Many female protesters of the vote have taken this delay as a step in the right direction, as it is a gender-blind decision, and because they are certain that they can convince this upcoming committee of their skills and abilities in the political realm.

PeaceKeeper wishes these women great luck in their campaign for equal opportunity in the world of politics, and cheer them on for bringing such strength and courage to the fight!
With Love,

The PeaceKeeper Team

(Writer:  Renee Estey.  Editor:  Jessica Smith.)