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 2021 Equal Pay Day Toolkit contains relevant information about the status of women and pay by ethnicity, occupations, etc. The toolkit contains a PowerPoint, ideas, and resources to tailor an event at your campus.

Dr. Linda Logan, MI-ACE State Chair-Elect and Public Policy Committee Co-Chair, has prepared an Equal Pay Day video presentation (coming soon).

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.