White House reports U.S. women still paid less, more likely to live in poverty

Findings, based on figures for 2009, include:

• Men still amke more money on average than women;
• Women are more likely than men to live in poverty;
• Most college-educated women marry around age 30, high school-educated women marry around age 26;
• 62% of women are married, compared with 72% in 1970;
• 46% of women between 25-29 didn't have children in 2008 compared with 31% in 1976;
• 87% of women 19 and older are high school graduates, slighter more than men;
• 28% of both men and women have at least a college degree;
• Women ages 25-34 are more likely to have a college degree than men of the same age, and more women tan men go to graduite school;
• Men are still paid more on average than women doing the same or similar work, regardless of educational level;
• Women earn about 75 cents for every $1 earned by a man in comparable jobs.

Some questions to ponder:

• How do these findings impact your local church? Your annual conference staff?
• Does your congregation offer Bible studies or adult classes on faith and financial management, addressing gender injustice, and understanding how the economy works?
• Are adult Sunday school or class leaders women, men or both? Are men and women assigned to teach topics based on their gender alone? For which topics?
• Who teaches Sunday school for children, youth and adults? Who sits on your finance commitee? Who are your trustees? Who gets asked to take notes in teh commitee meetings?
• Do you pay your church staff members a living wage?
• Do members of your Cabinet counsel congregations on receiving a new pastor, so that wages and compensation are consisten and fair, regardless of the pasto's marital status and/or gender?