Equal Pay Day this Tuesday!

Howdy feminists,

It's almost 80 degrees and sunny in DC. I'd like to celebrate, but the gender wage gap is getting me down.

Tomorrow, April 28, is Equal Pay Day, but really, every day is unequal pay day for women around the world.

Women earn less than men for the same work and the same hours. The U.S. Census Bureau found women earn 78 cents for every dollar men earn. Black women earn 69% of what white men earn, and Latina women earn 59 cents to every dollar a white man earns.

The wage gap begins as soon as women enter the workforce, and recent college grads are no exception. Additionally, the gender wage gap is apparent in every occupation, as you can see in this Bureau of Labor Statistics breakdown.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a great signal to our justice system and policymakers that we will continue to negotiate a more equitable society, and that proactive policies like the Fair Pay Act help women and families. We've made strong gains over the last few decades, but at this rate none of us will see equality in our lifetimes.

Many student groups around the country are working to erase the pay gap and raise awareness on campuses, which is terrific. There are tons of way to get involved.

Tell the students in your group to wear red tomorrow as a reminder the wage gap keeps women in the red. You could host a pay equity bake sale, where women get charged 78 cents for baked goods while men pay $1.

Have fun while educating your campus: the Making Waves group at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville sponsored a bean-bag toss with prizes. Women stood 7'6" away from the target, while men stood 10 feet away from the target. Students used bras as bean bag slingshots.

Host skill-building workshops on campus on interviewing, salary negotiation, and professional development. Partner with local feminist and progressive organizations to host networking events.

On a national level, you can get involved in the Fair Pay Campaign, a project sponsored by numerous women's organizations, including FMF. The campaign is sponsoring a congressional briefing on pay equity this Thursday, and it's free and open to the public. The briefing will be on Capitol Hill and you can learn more here.

We also encourage you to blog and tweet about how you're working to end the wage gap. Contact campusteam@feminist.org to let us know how you'll commemorate Equal Pay Day, or if you have any questions or suggestions!