Equal Pay Day happened in the U.S. this month. Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the current year women have to work to earn what men earned the previous year. According to Pew Research Center, women earned 80 cents for every dollar men earned in 2017, with this gap narrowing in 2018 to 85 cents, putting this year’s Equal Pay Day at April 2 (compared with April 10 last year).
The wage gap among younger workers is even narrower, with women earning 89 cents for every dollar men earned between the ages of 25-34. We hope this trend continues to the point where men and women earn equal pay for equal work.
There are a number of reasons why women make less than men on average. But whatever the reason, it’s important for women to acknowledge their power and not shy away from what is rightfully theirs. At GLAM, in addition to computer coding, we teach girls that they can connect with successful role models and mentors, they can have the confidence to reach higher and dream bigger, and they can use the resources available to them to achieve their goals.
By helping put girls on an equal footing with boys from an early age, we hope that soon we will be able to celebrate Equal Pay Day on December 31 every year.