Equal Pay
Why It’s Important
Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as her male counterparts did during the previous year. Red is worn on this day as a symbol of how far women are “in the red” with regard to pay.
Over the course of a career, a woman could lose up to a million dollars in income. It impacts her paying for groceries, rent or purchase a home, invest in education, savings, and retirement. For a recent college graduate, it could take longer to pay off her student loans.
Partners
The Michigan American Council on Education (MI-ACE) Women’s Network works in partnership with the Michigan Equal Pay Coalition to raise awareness of pay inequity between men’s and women’s earnings. In years past, a State Capitol event with state legislators, now virtual events, have drawn women together from across to state to educate and advocate for equal pay.
Institutional Representatives of MI-ACE member institutions have organized campus activities with staff, students and institution leaders, including wearing red, speaker events, salary negotiation workshops, and social media awareness campaigns.
MI-ACE Resources
The MI-ACE Women’s Network 2023 Equal Pay Toolkit
Equal Pay is not just a one-day issue but a topic that can be incorporated into other programs. Contact the MI-ACE Speakers Bureau if you are seeking a speaker for your event.
2023 Equal Pay Days
The following reflects fulltime women workers:
Overall Women’s Equal Pay Day is March 14.
Paid 84 cents of every dollar paid to white men.
LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day is June 15.
Without enough data to make calculations, this day raises awareness about the wage gap experienced.
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is July 27.
Black women are paid 67% of every dollar paid to white men.
Moms’ Equal Pay Day is August 15.
Moms are paid 74% of every dollar paid to dads.
Latina’s Equal Pay Day is October 5.
Latina women are paid 57% of every dollar paid to white men.
Native Women’s Equal Pay Day is November 30.
Native American Women are paid 57% of every dollar paid to white men.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day is TBD.
Asian American and Pacific Islander women are paid 92% of dollar paid to white men.
Source: Equal Pay Day Calendar – AAUW : Empowering Women Since 1881
2022 Equal Pay Day, Saginaw Valley University
Betsy Diegel, Deb Huntley
