--- title: Female Lawmakers Say Transparency Is A Key Part of Equal Pay description: Speaking on a conference call hosted by EMILY's List, female lawmakers talked about the steps they've taken towards equal pay. canonical: https://time.com/3821572/transparency-equal-pay-day/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-14T19:11:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:59:25.124Z article:section: Politics og:title: Female Politicians Say Transparency Is Key to Equal Pay og:description: From an anonymous tip line to laws protecting transparency. og:url: https://time.com/3821572/transparency-equal-pay-day/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2fde3c3178a01622/6987eb033c163980a34557b3/97615538.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3771 og:image:height: 2121 og:image:alt: 97615538 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Female Politicians Say Transparency Is Key to Equal Pay twitter:description: From an anonymous tip line to laws protecting transparency. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2fde3c3178a01622/6987eb033c163980a34557b3/97615538.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Female Politicians Say Transparency Is Key to Equal Pay > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c4c882c2-6f4b-4f8c-b9fb-76539ed830e2&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: A History Of The Minimum Wage [Watch (HLS stream): A History Of The Minimum Wage](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KFNoRaXc.m3u8) (3:56)  _Published 2014-02-28. See who raised the minimum wage and when throughout history._  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Apr 14, 2015 7:11 PM UTC  Unequal pay Unequal pay Matt Herrin—Getty Images/Ikon Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Apr 14, 2015 7:11 PM UTC With women making 78 cents to the dollar for men performing the same work, there’s still a long way to go before equal pay becomes a reality. But, as several female politicians noted on Tuesday, one of the biggest barriers to equal pay is a lack of transparency. Speaking on a conference call hosted by EMILY’s List, a group working to elect more Democratic women, female lawmakers talked about the steps they’ve taken towards equal pay. Even once gender-based discrimination laws are passed, they can be hard to enforce in the private sector where wages aren’t publicly available. Gina Raimondo, the first female governor of Rhode Island, established an equal pay tip line this year for people to confidentially report employers that aren’t complying with Rhode Island’s equal pay law. The tips then allow the state Department of Labor and Training, which runs the line, to investigate the employers and enforce the law. “Equal pay for equal work is good for women, but it’s good for our economy and it’s good for all hardworking families,” Raimondo said. “Families are increasingly relying on a mom’s wages and work to make ends meet.” Erin Murphy, a Minnesota state representative, also worked to pass measures that would increase transparency to enforce equal pay. As Majority Leader in her state legislature in 2014, she helped pass the Women’s Economic Security Act, aimed at improving working conditions for women. [Among other measures](http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/pressrelease.asp?pressid=8508&party=1&memid=10791), the act contains a provision that allows employees to “voluntarily discuss their compensation without fear of retaliation from their employers.” Murphy says this communication is a key component of achieving equal pay. “We made headway in Minnesota. But we have many, many steps to go, and one of the important ways we can continue to make progress is talking together,” she said. _Read next:_ [_Here’s the History of the Battle for Equal Pay for American Women_](http://time.com/3774661/equal-pay-history/) ## Transcript >> In 1938, the very first federal minimum wage was set at $ 0. 25 cents an hour when Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act. The wage is not tied to the rate of inflation, so it only goes up through congressional action. Twenty- two times since 1938, Congress and the President have worked together to raise it. Here's a look at when the wages have gone up over time. Keep an eye on the number in blue, which shows you how much that amount would be worth in today's dollars. -[ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] >> At its peak, the minimum wage in 1968 was worth $ 10. 75 in today's dollars, but the purchasing power that goes with it has not kept up. So, if you earn minimum wage in the 1960s, it was enough to fill up your basket with a week's groceries. 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