The Gender Pay Gap
Written by: Amber Baldwin
It’s 2021 and there is still a wage gap between men and women. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, on average a woman makes $0.82 for every dollar a man makes.
With such disparity in numbers, white women have to work until March 24th to make the same amount that a man-made the previous year. This day is known as Equal Pay Day.
Asian-American women make $0.87 for every dollar a man makes and have to work until March 9. Black women have to work until September 3 because they make $0.63 for every dollar a man makes. Native American women make $0.60 for every dollar a man makes and have work until September 8. Latina women have to work until October 21 because they make $0.54 for every dollar a man makes.
Here’s the wage gap from an everyday perspective. Men are paid for a full 9 to 5 workday where women start working for free at 2:40 pm.
When the gender wage gap is looked at by age and not as a whole average a woman actually starts to make even less as she grows older. Women ages 45 and older make an average of $0.72 compared to every dollar a man makes. Women ages 30-44 make $0.81 and women ages 20-29 make $0.85 for every dollar a man makes.
Here are some simple things people can do to fight for equal pay.
- Do Research
a. Look into more statics about the gender wage gap- https://blog.dol.gov/2021/03/19/5-facts-about-the-state-of-the-gender-pay-gap or
https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap
b. Learn how to negotiate your own salary
c. Learn about the successful women that you look up to - Post on social media
- Have an event to teach others about the wage gap
As Vice President Kamala Harris said, “The burden of ensuring equal pay isn’t on women alone. It’s on all of us. And equal pay will benefit all of us too. Because when we lift up women, we lift up families, we lift up communities, and all of society is better off.”
