Equal Pay Day was originated by the
National Committee on Pay Equity
(NCPE) in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. The day, observed on a Tuesday in April, symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. (Tuesday is the day on which women's wages catch up to men's wages from the previous week.) Because women earn less, on average, than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay. The wage gap is even greater for most women of color.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement in recognition of Equal Pay Day:
"Today we highlight the important struggle of American women to earn equal pay for equal work. Women first entered the work force en masse during World War II and now comprise almost half of all American workers. They are lawyers and retailers and entrepreneurs - and women are projected to account for 49% of the increase in total labor force growth between 2006 and 2016. Despite this remarkable progress, a woman still earns only 78 cents for every dollar a man earns; a disparity that hurts not only women, but all American families.
"As we work to turn the page on the current economic crisis, it's more important then ever that our economy works for everyone and protections are in place to prevent pay discrimination. That's why President Obama and the Democratic Congress have made equal pay a top priority. The first bill President Obama signed, just a week after taking office, was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law that makes it illegal for men and women to be paid differently for the same job.
"While we have come a long way on this important issue, we realize there is still more progress to be made. So today we will celebrate the contributions women have made to the American workforce and pledge our continued support as we work to close the pay gap."