Will You Wait Until 2059 For Equal Pay?

The women’s suffrage of the roaring 1920s is not as distant a memory as it may seem.

Today we celebrate Equal Pay Day - a date that symbolizes how far into the year women must work in order to “catch up” to men’s earnings from the previous year, in addition to raising awareness around the gender pay gap in your community.

Pay Parity in New York

If you look at median pay, there is an annual wage gap of $6,799 across 81% of New York’s Congressional Districts.

• A woman who holds a full-time, year-round job makes on average, $44,781.
• A man who holds a full-time, year-round job makes on average, $51,580.

For women of color who hold full-time, year-round jobs – the gap is even larger:

• African American women are paid $0.66 cents to the dollar.
• Latina women are paid $0.56 cents to the dollar.
• Asian women are paid $0.80 cents to the dollar.

Explaining the Gap

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, the wage gap cannot be explained by an indiviudal's choices because the wage gap:

• Is prevalent across all industries
• Exists within occupations
• Occurs regardless of education level
• Has contributing factors such as discrimination and bias

The Impact of the Gap in New York

Due to the wage gap, women who are employed full-time and living in New York lose a combined total of $20 billion every year! Lost wages not only affect these employed women, but their families, businesses, and the economy as well. 

Eliminating the wage gap would provide working women with the following (not to mention the impact on the economy):

• One additional year worth of food
• Three months of mortgage and utilities; or
• Six more months of rent

Closing the Gap Across the Nation

Across the nation, women are paid 79% of a man’s annual earnings – and according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, it will be another 43 years’ time before women will receive equal pay. Rather than waiting until 2059 to reach pay parity, there are ways to reduce the gender pay gap together, today:

• Introduce negotiation-free job offers similar to that of Lexus' negotiation-free pricing for cars. 
• Annual pay equity self-audits to analyze wage-setting policies and fair HR pay practices.
• Implement protections in the workpalce to encourage people to speak out against discriminatory pay. 
• Participate in the conversation!

It can be expected that people will experience differences in salaries as they assume leadership roles and advance their career.  But when it comes to positions requiring the same skill set, knowledge, and experience, there should be pay parity. Together we can mitigate the pay gap by addressing the importance of this conversation in which gender, race, and age are not contributing factors to unfair and discriminatory treatment.

Why not start today and celebrate Equal Pay Day at the Buffalo History Museum. Today at 4PM, the WNY Women’s Action Coalition presents pay equity panel & reception.