APRIL 4 WAS EQUAL PAY DAY – THE DAY THAT REPRESENTS HOW FAR INTO 2017 A WOMAN MUST WORK IN ORDER TO EARN WHAT A MAN DID IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF A MAN EARNED 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN 2016, THE AVERAGE WOMAN WOULD HAVE TO WORK ALL THE WAY UNTIL APRIL 4 TH TO MAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY! WOMEN OF COLOR FARE EVEN WORSE -- EQUAL PAY DAY DOESN’T COME UNTIL AUGUST FOR BLACK WOMEN, AND, ON AVERAGE, HISPANIC WOMEN WOULD HAVE TO WORK UNTIL NOVEMBER TO EARN THE SAME AMOUNT.
IT SOUNDS VERY UNFAIR, BUT THERE ARE MANY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS – AND THE WAGE GAP IS MUCH SMALLER THAN IT USED TO BE. TODAY, WOMEN MAKE AN AVERAGE OF 79 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR A MAN EARNS – OR APPROXIMATELY 20% LESS.
[CLIP FROM “#20PERCENTCOUNTS SEE WHAT 20% LESS LOOKS LIKE”]
TO EVEN THINGS UP – AND TO HIGHLIGHT THE GENDER PAY GAP -- SOME BUSINESSES OFFERED 20% OFF TO WOMEN ON APRIL 4 TH -- AS PART OF THE HASHTAG-20-PERCENT-COUNTS CAMPAIGN.
AS THE BATTLE OVER THE PAY GAP SHOWS US, MANY WOMEN HAVE STEPPED OUT OF TRADITIONAL ROLES AND ENTERED THE WORKFORCE
Instructional Links
Website: National Committee on Gender Equity, Equal Pay Day
Magazine Article: EBSCOhost, Junior Scholastic, Equal Pay for Equal Pay, January 9, 2017 | May need password
Website Article: Fortune, Check Out the Pay Gap in Each State for Equal Pay Day | Includes video and interactive map with pay statistics