Washington, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America’s 32.5 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, issued the following statement to commemorate Equal Pay Day.
“Equal Pay Day is our annual reminder of how much longer – and harder – a woman has to work to earn the same amount as a man. In nearly every job, in nearly every industry, women still earn less than men, and the numbers are even more disparate for women of color.
“The pay gap has a real impact on women and their families, and it is just one of many historic inequities women must battle. It’s no different for women entrepreneurs, who have long faced extra hurdles accessing capital and resources they need to start and grow their businesses. And women business owners are less likely to take a salary, with just 42 percent of them paying themselves, compared to 57 percent of their male peers.
“At the SBA, we’re working to eliminate barriers for women entrepreneurs and make sure they can get their businesses funded, access strong networks, and take advantage of market growth opportunities to build resilient businesses. We’ve saved millions of women-owned businesses with critical COVID financial relief, worked across the Biden-Harris Administration to simplify access to federal contracts, and expanded our networks through the American Rescue Plan’s Community Navigator Pilot Program and the largest ever network of Women’s Business Centers, including at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions. Our goal is to provide targeted support to the women who are opening and operating businesses at record rates and helping to drive our historic economic recovery.
“I’m committed to working with the entire Biden-Harris Administration to help address the many challenges faced by women business owners and women in the workforce, including equal pay, access to childcare and care for aging loved ones, equitable health care, and so much more. Our entire economy suffers when women aren’t able to fully and equally participate. We must make sure the future generations of women – our daughters, our granddaughters – will have the same opportunities as our sons and grandsons.”
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
