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April 4th marks the number of extra calendar days a woman has to work on average to make as much as a man during the year for doing the same job.
That’s why Tuesday was Equal Pay Day.
A rally on the campus of Michigan Tech provided cookies and information on closing the gender pay gap.
The event was put on by the Copper Country League of Women Voters and the Keweenaw Business and Professional Women.
Voter Services Chair with the Copper Country League of Women Voters Kathy Flagstadt said, “I want to be clear that it’s not in all businesses and organizations, it’s in some, mostly higher paying, but it is there and we have the literature to back up what we say.”
Participants wore red to symbolize that women are “in the red” when it comes to average wages in the country.
Last year, the difference was about 79 percent and that’s improved to about 80 percent so organizers say they are making progress.
Their statistics are based on a study done by the American Association of University Women.
They urge people to support legislation, such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, to end gender-based wage discrimination.
