As we wrote this holiday article, we conducted some research on equal pay in the U.S. Currently, it appears that women earn just 82 cents for every dollar a man earns for the same job. Women of color earn even less. This should adequately highlight the pay disparity that still exists, although there have been strides forward over the past few years.

With that being said, there’s still a whole lot of work to be done, and this is why International Equal Pay Day was created. This holiday is observed on September 18th and not only raises public awareness about pay inequality but also attempts to motivate people to take action.

The History of International Equal Pay Day

This holiday is one that has existed on an international level since 2019. However, it does have its roots in an American holiday called National Equal Pay Day. This holiday was founded in 1996 to raise awareness of the ongoing gender wage gap.

Unfortunately, some 26+ years later, there is still a need for this holiday as wage inequality is still felt by far too many people.

Important Facts About the Gender Wage Gap

As we stated in our introductory paragraph, we decided to do some research before writing this article on International Equal Pay Day. We came across a wide range of facts that we feel most of our readers will find quite informative, so we decided to share some of these facts below.

• Based on 2019 data, Hispanic and Latino women earn 54 cents for every dollar a white male earns.
• Black and Alaska Native women earn 57 cents, and Black women earn 62 cents for every dollar a white male earns.
• Asian women earn approximately 90 cents for every dollar a white male earns.
• Although gender-based pay discrimination has been illegal since 1963, it is still a widespread practice.
• The gender wage gap can contribute to hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars of lost earnings over the course of a 40-year career.

Observing International Equal Pay Day

Everyone is encouraged to start a conversation about equal pay on this day and to voice their opinions to their congressional representatives.

Getting bills such as the Paycheck Fairness Act passed through Congress is a great way to tackle the problem of pay inequality — at least in the U.S. People are also encouraged to use their voices on social media to spread the word about this holiday. This can easily be done by using the hashtag #InternationalEqualPayDay.