YWCA Columbus reacts to Columbus City Council’s pay equity legislation:

As an organization dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women, YWCA Columbus applauds the pay equity legislation passed by Columbus City Council on March 13, 2023. We proudly support this measure to narrow the pay gap, having testified in favor of passage.

Introduced by Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, the legislation bans employers from using salary history to screen applicants or decide their pay. This is a critical tool to ensure past pay discrepancies don’t compound throughout a woman’s career, and a necessary step towards shrinking the long-range wealth gap that disproportionately affects women of color and transgender people.

Discriminatory hiring practices, such as relying on previous salary history, only preserve the status quo – one that YWCA Columbus remains determined to break.

Additionally, limiting these practices enables companies to do better. Better pay and compensation for women allows companies to retain diverse workforces, seeing an overall improvement in productivity and retention rates, which benefit their bottom line.

While this is only one step towards protecting and promoting equitable wages for women, we are hopeful that all Columbus women will achieve a safe and welcoming workplace with appropriate compensation.

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