AAUW Marks March 15 Equal Pay Day with Free Financial Education Program
Webinar series is part of multipronged strategy to close the gender wage gap
Washington D.C. — In honor of this year’s March 15 Equal Pay Day, the symbolic day when women’s earnings catch up to men’s from the previous year, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is hosting an Empower webinar series, designed to boost women’s leadership skills and to support them in building their personal financial security.
“We are committed to a multipronged approach to achieving pay equity,” said AAUW CEO Gloria L. Blackwell. “In addition to our groundbreaking research on the wage gap and our advocacy efforts to change laws and policy, AAUW offers trainings for individuals who want to be proactive in ensuring their financial wellbeing. We are committed to fighting for women’s economic security with every tool available. It’s the only way we will be able to make progress in this unrelenting battle to close the pay and wealth gaps.”
About the AAUW Empower Webinar Series:
The first of three sessions in the 2022 AAUW Empower program will be held at 5 p.m. on March 15. It will include remarks by Ashley Harrington, of the Federal Student Aid office at the U.S. Department of Education, followed by the financial literacy training program, AAUW Money Smart. Subsequent AAUW Empower sessions will be held on April 19 and May 10, with more planned for later in the year. To learn more and to register, visit aauw.org/empower.
About AAUW Work Smart Online
AAUW also provides free salary-negotiation training through its Work Smart Online program. Since the initiative began four years ago, AAUW’s Work Smart programs online and in-person have trained close to 200,000 women on how to effectively negotiate a fair salary. To learn more, visit aauw.org/salary.
About Equal Pay Day and the Gender Pay Gap:
For the past 15 years, the National Committee on Pay Equity, a coalition of women’s and civil rights organizations, labor unions and professional associations, has designated an annual Equal Pay Day to raise awareness about the gender wage gap. This year’s date reflects the latest official figures showing that women who work full time take home on average just 83 percent of the typical man’s pay.
But because of how COVID-19 impacted the labor force, this current figure does not tell the full story: Women are more likely to have stopped working during the pandemic, many because of family caregiving responsibilities and school closures. Others left because their jobs, in retail, service and hospitality, simply disappeared. These women, many of whom are low-wage workers, are not included in wage gap calculations. The bottom line: The real wage gap is likely wider than it appears.
AAUW CEO Gloria Blackwell and other AAUW experts are available for media interviews for Equal Pay Day stories. Contact: Mary Hickey 973.819.3608 | hickeym@aauw.org
AAUW Gender Wage Gap Resources:
The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap
Systemic Racism and the Gender Pay Gap
Fast Facts About the Gender Pay Gap
Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act
Latinas and the COVID-19 Experience
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy. Our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and more than 800 college and university members. Learn more and join us at www.aauw.org.