5 Things You Can Do Today for Equal Pay
This was in my Twitter feed today to remind me it’s Equal Pay Day:
This is funny, + sadly, true. On average, r working 22% of the time 4 free. We need 2 fix this. https://t.co/c76v6hqeXC @GloriaFeldt
— Sheryl L. Axelrod (@sher_lawyer) April 14, 2015
I don’t know about you, but I’m sooo tired of hearing that same statistic over and over in the annual communal outcry about the lack of equal pay.
So being a practical activist, I put together these five things you and I can do today to bring about equal pay.
1. Read up.
That way, when people try to tell you there is no pay gap or that it’s women’s own fault for choosing lower paying jobs or (gasp) having babies, you’ll be able to set them straight. Here are five myths about the gender pay gap that you can help debunk, and here’s another piece that makes it clear that the wage gap is real.
2. Use the power of your voice on social media.
Tweet along with PowHer NY all day using #NYEqualPayBill and #EqualPayDay. They will be covering all the activities going on around New York State and the U.S., so follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Not sure what to say? Here are some examples.
You can also join Levo League’s #ask4more campaign and follow them at @levoleague. You can use these photos and videos when you post with the hashtag #ask4more, and here’s a sample tweet to get you started.
3. Wish Lilly Ledbetter Happy Birthday.
Equal Pay Day also happens to fall on legendary equal pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter’s birthday! Send a post using #HappyBirthdayLilly and add your wish for equal pay. Link to information on the Paycheck Fairness Act to spread the word about this potential remedy.
4. Know your worth.
Here are resources from our friends at She Negotiates, MoneyZen, and DailyWorth.
And the #1 most important way you can bring about equal pay?
5. ASK.
We women could close the pay gap along with the leadership gap if we asked for our full value. If you need help planning your next negotiation, you can use the Close the Gap App. In honor of Equal Pay Day, we’re offering this unique tool, usually $10, to you for free if you use the code free2day when you sign up.
Next year, let’s make sure we can celebrate our progress toward equal pay instead of bemoaning the lack of it.
Ready, set, go!
About the Author
Gloria Feldt, Co-Founder and President of Take The Lead, is the author of No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power. She teaches "Women, Power, and Leadership" at Arizona State University and was named to Vanity Fair's Top 200 women Legends, Leaders, and Trailblazers.