As recently as July 17, the Senate voted to reject an equal pay measure. The Teamsters Union is pursuing state legislation that can effectively address this problem and add momentum to the effort to combat discrimination and strengthen remedies. Social Security is the mainstay of retirement income for women. More than half of all women 65 or older are widowed, divorced or never married. On average, these women rely on Social Security for 72 percent of their income, compared with 66 percent for similar men.
Women are less likely to have a pension.
Only 26 percent of all older women get a pension, compared with 47 percent of men, and when they do, it's typically much less than what men receive. Women benefit from Social Security's unique protections.