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.
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.
It's commonly known that women on average earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn. For African American women, that figure is only 63 cents. Latinas earn even less - just 53 cents for every dollar.
Equal Pay Day traditionally falls on a Tuesday in April. Why a Tuesday? That's the day of the week that women's earnings equal men's earnings 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.
It's commonly known that women on average earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn. For African American women, that figure is only 63 cents. Latinas earn even less - just 53 cents for every dollar.
Equal Pay Day traditionally falls on a Tuesday in April. Why a Tuesday? That's the day of the week that women's earnings equal men's earnings from the previous week.