$513 B could flow into our economy if women earned as much pay as men, says the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. That’s a number that should stick in the minds even of CEOs who hire women because, as one of them (Evan Thornley, multimillionaire and co-founder of online advertising company LookSmart) says, “Women [are] like men, only cheaper.”
Today is Equal Pay Day. True, the actual day is a projected guess, since it’s based on averages from the census data, which isn’t available soon enough to set a specific real date. Also true, the amount is based on average earnings of all full-time workers, not comparing specific job to specific job. So it isn’t perfect statistically.
However, it’s a symbol that points up a problem in our economy: women overall earn less than men. If CEOs paid their women workers the same as they do men for the same job, if women didn’t get only 79.6 cents for every dollar a man makes, if working mothers weren’t limited in their hiring possibilities because of employer fears of their taking off too much time for family, if men didn’t dominate corporate Boards, if, if, if….
The answer to those “ifs” is less poverty among women and children and a more vibrant economy for us all.
By the way, if you support equal pay, the American Association of University Women asks you to wear red today.