Benioff would never have known of the disparities if he had not reviewed pay records, and other business leaders are similarly in the dark, Clinton said. She said structural biases and discrimination are partly to blame.

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She did not provide details about how she would require businesses to compare pay between men and women. She has previously said she will work to pass proposed legislation called the Paycheck Fairness Act that would make it easier for women to claim unequal treatment, and says she will remove legal barriers that prevent some women from finding out what their male counterparts are paid.

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"We've got to take this seriously and not let the Republicans act like this is not a problem," Clinton said. "It is a problem."

She cited statistics showing that white women are paid roughly three-quarters as much as men for the same work, with black and Hispanic women making less. She drew a laugh from the largely female audience when she noted that grocery stores don't charge less because the customer is a woman, and she turned serious to say that lower pay for women cheats everyone — men, women and children.

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"I loved it the other day when the women soccer players sued," Clinton said, referring to a federal wage discrimination claim filed last week by the the players’ union for the women's national team.

The women players, including team leaders such as Carli Lloyd and Hope Solo, claim that they outperform the men's team but are paid less.

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“The numbers speak for themselves,” Solo said when the complaint was filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “We are the best in the world, have three World Cup championships, four Olympic championships.”

The male players “get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships,” Solo said.

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Clinton drew loud applause when she made a sharp reference to Republican front-runner Donald J. Trump, whom she accused to trying to "divide Americans against Americans."

"I wish he'd come out from one of his towers and actually walk this city," Clinton said.

In fiercely partisan remarks, she also said that "if anyone doubts the importance of the Supreme Court" and the current vacancy, they should recall that "the Supreme Court made George Bush president."

Chirlane McCray, wife of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, led the crowd in chants of "We Need Hillary" before introducing the candidate.

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Clinton's remarks were interrupted by a chant of "I'm With Her," to which she replied, smiling, "I'm also with you."