Today, March 24, 2021, is Equal Pay Day. It marks the day into the year on which it takes women in the U.S. who work full-time to earn what men did in 2020. White women earn $0.82 for every dollar paid to men. The wage gap is even larger for women of color. Looking at this date and thinking that the date will likely come even sooner in 2022 because lower-wage women have left the workforce is extremely bothersome. I believe we can make a great impact this year and it will take all of us to get there. It is said that the pay gap becomes a wealth gap as it continues. Addressing getting women back to work is only part of the solution. We must get women into higher level positions and increase their financial positions.
We were making progress shrinking the pay gap, then the pandemic changed that. Millions of women have lost their jobs or were forced to leave to care for their families. As a society, our call to action is to lift up a woman, paying close attention to women of color and giving extra attention to this group. Men and women must participate in this effort. It benefits us all.
