April 8 may seem like a random date on the calendar, but to the University of Idaho Women’s Center, it is the physical representation of the wage gap between women and men.
“That signifies how long women have to work into 2014 to make the same amount as a man did in 2013,” said Rebekah MilleMacPhee, assistant director of programs at the Women’s Center. “It signifies how far in the red we are as women.”
Lysa Salsbury, director of the Women’s Center, said Caucasian women make 77 cents to every dollar a Caucasian man makes for doing similar positions in the workplace across the nation. She said the wage gap in Idaho is greater than the national average, with women being paid 75 cents to every dollar a man makes.
MillerMacPhee said the wage disparity among minority women is greater, with African-American and Hispanic women making 64 cents and 56 cents respectively, to every dollar a Caucasian man makes.
To bring attention to these statistics, the Women’s Center hosted a “pay equity bake sale” and handed out wage disparity information last Tuesday in the Idaho Commons as part of the annual Equal Pay Day.
MillerMacPhee said the goal of the tabling events was to raise awareness and educate the campus community about wage disparity. She said the event also offered an opportunity to start a conversation with individuals who have been affected by the wage gap.
Jessy Forsmo-Shadid, a first-year student who was involved in the event, said many people were surprised to find out the wage gap was so large.
“Some people had no idea what was really going on. I find that really interesting,” Forsmo-Shadid said.
Salsbury said Equal Pay Day is a student-led program that allows students to practice activism, while also educating fellow students about critical political and societal issues affecting women.
Salsbury said the “pay equity bake sale” asked men to pay a higher fee for baked goods as an illustration of the wage gap between men and women. She said the money raised from the bake sale will fund future programs in the Women’s Center.
Salsbury said the disparity is a critical societal issue, as many families who rely on women for the main source of income are put at a greater disadvantage. She said the wage gap is a family issue as much as it is a women’s issue.
“Income disparity does not just affect women, it affects entire families. Families are also the beneficiaries of women’s wage earning potential,” Salsbury said. “It’s not just about women, it’s about communities.”
Veronica Smith, a first-year student and volunteer at the Women’s Center, said wage disparity is only one of many challenges women face in the professional world.
“People don’t really understand the difficulties that women face in the workforce, pay just being one of them,” Smith said.
MillerMacPhee said the program aimed to show the campus community that there is still a large amount of work to be done in closing the gap between men and women in society.
“There is still work that needs to be done, to let people know that secrecy about wages hurts women,” MillerMacPhee said.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]