March 15
Equal Pay Day
An awareness observance raising awareness of the gender pay gap, illustrating how far into the new year women must work to earn what men earned the prior year, and promoting equal pay for equal work.
National Committee on Pay Equity
Institutional Initiative
The National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) originated the observance in 1996 as National Pay Inequity Awareness Day, renamed Equal Pay Day in 1998. The date symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned the previous year, and U.S. Presidents have since officially proclaimed the day.
Introduction
March 15 is Equal Pay Day, a powerful reminder of the gender pay gap and an opportunity to promote equal pay for all. This day was first launched in 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity as a way to raise awareness about the wage disparities between men and women. In 2021, the gender wage gap still persists across many industries, with women making only 81 cents for every dollar earned by men. Equal Pay Day is a great chance to stand up for fairness and work towards closing this gap once and for all!
Equal Pay Day Timeline
How to Celebrate Equal Pay Day
1
Research the wage gap
Inform yourself about the gender wage gap and what it means for women. Research current legislation and the history of pay inequity in the workplace.
2
Contact your representative
Contact your representatives and let them know that you support equal pay legislation. Ask them to push for policies that will close the gender wage gap.
3
Buy from companies that promote equal pay
Shop at companies that promote and practice equal pay for their employees. You can find a list of companies that have publicly committed to closing the gender pay gap on websites like Fairygodboss and Glassdoor.
4
Share your story
Share your experience of working in an unequal workplace or your success stories of closing the gender pay gap. Sharing your story helps spread awareness and encourages others to fight for change.
5
Donate to organizations that support equal pay
Show your support by donating to organizations like the National Women’s Law Center, which is dedicated to fighting for equal pay and other issues related to women's rights.
Why Equal Pay Day is Important
Equal pay is a matter of fairness and justice
Whether within the same job or across an entire industry, unequal pay for equal work is not only unfair to the individuals receiving unequal compensation, but it perpetuates systemic gender biases that can have real world consequences. Equal pay day serves an important reminder that all workers should be paid fairly for their labor.
It helps combat economic inequality
Gender-based wage gaps contribute significantly to poverty and wealth inequality in America. Equal Pay Day shines a light on these disparities in order to drive conversations around policy initiatives and practices that can help close the gap and reduce economic inequality between men and women.
It helps raise awareness
Raising awareness about wage disparities is critical in order to create meaningful change. Events like Equal Pay Day offer an opportunity to draw attention to this issue so that we can further understand how much progress has been made in reducing gender-based pay gaps - and how much farther there is yet to go.
Holiday Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Wednesday | |
| 2024 | Friday | |
| 2025 | Saturday | |
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2027 | Monday |
