Equal Pay Day 2023, a day that symbolizes the extra days an average women must work to catch up to what the average man earned the previous year. According to data from the American Association of University Women, women earn 83 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by men. For women of color, the gap is even worse.

The date of Equal Pay Day changes from year to year as the situation improves — no gender pay gap would mean Equal Pay Day lands on December 31, that is, women and men, on average, earn the same amount over the course of a year.  This is not the case, and thus one can think of women as working into the following year to make as much as a man, on average—having to work until March 14 is having to work 50 extra days (M-F).  Red is worn on Equal Pay Day as a symbol of how far women and people of color are “in the red.” 

What can be done?  Widespread awareness is a first and very effective step in addressing the Gender Pay Gap.  On March 14 we’ll spread awareness by wearing red and gathering at the Husky on campus from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  We’ll be giving out cookies, sharing data, and answering questions.  Everyone can do something, whether it’s being on the lookout for nonconscious bias in employment practices, interceding for yourself, a friend, or a colleague, or staying informed on current research into the causes of workplace pay inequity.

Co-sponsoring the Equal Pay Day event this year are:  the Copper Country League of Women Voters, Society of Women Engineers, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Michigan Tech Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX, Michigan Tech Graduate School, Friends of the Michigan Tech Library, and Women in Natural Resources Club at Michigan Tech.

Find out what you can do to help close the gap.  If your organization would like to join the list of co-sponsors of Equal Pay Day in the future, please contact Faith Morrison, fmorriso@mtu.edu.  You’ll be making positive change happen.