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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!
<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1963</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Equal Pay Act</div><div class='timeline-text'>The Equal Pay Act, signed by John F. Kennedy, became law, aiming to abolish wage disparity based on sex.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1973</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>American Civil Liberties Union Women's Rights Project</div><div class='timeline-text'>The ACLU Women's Rights Project was established, and has played a significant role in legal battles against discrimination and for equal pay.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1996</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Lilly Ledbetter case</div><div class='timeline-text'>Discovery of wage discrimination by Lilly Ledbetter at Goodyear Tire leads to a legal battle and national discussion on wage gap.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2006</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>First Equal Pay Day</div><div class='timeline-text'>Establishment of Equal Pay Day, symbolizing how far into the year women need to work to earn what men earned last year.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2009</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act</div><div class='timeline-text'>President Barack Obama signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, affirming a right to sue for discrimination long after incident.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2019</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Paycheck Fairness Act</div><div class='timeline-text'>The Paycheck Fairness Act, designed to help tackle the gender pay gap, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.</div></div></div>
<div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Research the wage gap</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>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.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Contact your representative</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>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.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Buy from companies that promote equal pay</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>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.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Share your story</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>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.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Donate to organizations that support equal pay</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>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.</p></div></div>
<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Equal pay is a matter of fairness and justice</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>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.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>It helps combat economic inequality</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>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.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>It helps raise awareness</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>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.</p></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Gender Pay Gap Varies by Occupation</h3><p class='facts-content'>According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gender pay gap is wider in some professions. For instance, female financial managers make around 65 cents to every dollar earned by male counterparts.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>States Play a Part in Pay Inequity</h3><p class='facts-content'>The gender pay gap also varies by state. As per a 2020 study conducted by the American Association of University Women, Louisiana has the largest wage gap while California has the smallest.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Age Factors into the Gender Pay Gap</h3><p class='facts-content'>Studies reveal that the gender pay gap widens with age. Women between 55 to 64 years old are paid 78% of what men in the same age group make.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Racial Disparities Further Complicate Pay Inequity</h3><p class='facts-content'>Apart from gender, race also plays a role in wage gaps. For example, Hispanic and African American women have a wider pay gap as compared to non-Hispanic white and Asian women.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Education Doesn't Resolve the Pay Gap</h3><p class='facts-content'>Despite popular belief, education doesn't eliminate the gender pay gap. Women with advanced degrees still typically earn less than men with similar qualifications.</p></div></div>
Equal Pay Day is celebrated on March 15 every year. In 2024, Equal Pay Day will occur on a Friday.
2023
Mar 15
Wednesday
2024
Mar 15
Friday
2025
Mar 15
Saturday
2026
Mar 15
Sunday
2027
Mar 15
Monday
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