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On March 8, 1857, hundreds of New York based women working in garment and textile factories staged a strike protesting low wages, long working hours, inadequate pay, inhumane working conditions and the lack of voting rights. It was an historic event that laid the foundation for International Women’s Day, a yearly commemoration of the struggles of women worldwide. It’s fitting then, as we head into International Women’s Day weekend, for us to focus on how women are faring in these tough economic times. Even before the recession hit, women were earning 76% of what men earned on average and only a quarter of all businesses were owned by women. Among women, racial disparities showed that African American and Latina women earned less and had fewer job opportunities than white women. At this year’s World Economic Forum, Ernst and Young released a report called “Groundbreakers: Using the strength of women to rebuild the global economy,” which, in typically corporate terms described “capitalizing” on the contributions of women to save the economy. Still, women are the world’s majority, and their economic well being is the topic of our story today.

GUESTS: Ariane Hegewisch, Study Director at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Heather Boushey, at the Center for American Progress