We request equitable opportunity and a level playing field that is not already stacked against us.
We are requesting our proper salaries and promotions. Equal Pay Day Shouldn’t Just Be About Celebrations It Should Also Be About Change.įor years, Black women have been compelled to celebrate their hard work on the day that signifies how far into the year they must work to close the gap to what white men made the former year. In some states, like Washington, childcare is more expensive than a year of college. One of the main barriers to fair pay and opportunities is the lack of affordable child care options that enable black women to participate fully in the workforce.Ĭhildcare costs for families in some states amount to almost a quarter of a worker’s salary.
While fairer pay is a crucial first step, we also need to address the structural barriers that are preventing black women from accessing high-wage careers in the first place. Addressing Pay Disparities Will Take More Than Just Paying Women Equally At the same time, Latinas are often given less than the minimum wage for their work. Black women are less likely to be in managerial positions, the highest-paid positions in a company.Īdditionally, Black women are more likely to be in low-wage jobs like child care, food service, and cleaning. The Wage Gap Widens for Black Womenīecause the wage gap widens as Black women advance in their careers, they are at a greater risk of being paid poverty wages. Hence, employers prefer White job applicants twice more than black applicants with equal qualifications. At every stage in her career, a Black woman is less likely to be hired than a White woman with the same qualifications. Black women are less likely to be promoted and less likely to be paid equally for their work. We see that the wage gap widens for black women and at the same time, employers discriminate based on race and gender.īlack women are less likely to be hired than white women. It is indisputable that workplace discrimination against black women and other women of color is based on race and gender. Over the years, many factors have contributed to the wage gap. Black Women Are Universally Disadvantaged When It Comes to Equal Pay And today, when we look at the pay gap, we see the same dynamic playing out.
#Womens equal pay day full
We’ve had to work harder, be more intelligent, and do more to be recognized as the full and equal members of our society that we deserve to be. Historically, Black women have had to work extra hard just to keep their heads above water with laborious work, all while being at the forefront of pioneering change. Equal Pay is a Black Women’s Issue too.Ī woman’s issue is a black woman’s issue. That’s why now is the time to talk about pay equity and what it will take for all women-including black women-to see fair wages and opportunities at work.
For far too long, we’ve heard that we need to lean in and trust that if we work hard, we’ll be rewarded.īut it’s not enough to lean in if you can’t afford childcare, if you can’t afford a taxi home after an all-night meeting, or if you can’t risk taking unpaid leave to pursue your dreams again and again because you will fall out of the middle class. This pay disparity is even more pronounced for black women, who are also working-class and face additional financial burdens due to fewer opportunities for high-paying jobs and a propensity to live in areas with higher living costs. That means that, on average, black women must labor until this time of year-nearly halfway through the next year-to earn the same as a white man did the previous year. Black women earn barely 66 cents for every dollar a white man earns. Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is the date black women must labor to catch up to what their white male colleagues earned the previous year.
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