President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, and Congress banned sex discrimination in the workplace in 1964. But more than 50 years later, women, who are working full-time, are still earning less than men – about 78 cents to every dollar, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

The West Virginia University Council for Women’s Concerns and the American Association of University Women will host gender equality bake sales on National Equal Pay Day Tuesday, April 14, on the WVU downtown and medical campuses. Baked goods will be $1 for men and 70 cents for women to demonstrate the pay inequality that women continue to experience in the workplace. According to the National Women’s Law Center, white women in West Virginia earn about 69 cents to every dollar earned by white men.

One gender equality bake sale will take place outside in front of the Mountainlair and the other near the WVU Health Sciences Center Healthy Caf� on the ground floor of the HSC South building.

Information tables inside of the Mountainlair will also have materials about Equal Pay Day, the WVU Council for Women’s Concerns, and the American Association of University Women. Council and association members will wear red on Equal Pay Day to symbolize how far women and minorities are “in the red” with their pay.

The gender pay gap is worse for minorities – with African-American women earning 64 cents and Hispanic women earning 54 cents to every dollar earned by white men, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

A 2015 report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research discovered that West Virginia is not projected to close the gender wage gap until 2101.

“The gender pay gap has remained a reality for women in our country and state for far too long. Equal Pay Day campus activities nationwide help raise awareness and advocate for change” said Erica Bentley, chair of the WVU Council for Women’s Concerns. “Over the course of a woman’s lifetime the gender salary gap can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, hurting women and their families. This is why it is so important for women to negotiate their salaries early in their careers and continue to advocate for equal pay for themselves, their coworkers and their subordinates.”

The WVU Council for Women’s Concerns, established in 1977, connects and empowers women in all areas of the University and local community by facilitating a dialogue on women’s issues and serving as a resource for women and girls. Visit http://cwc.wvu.edu to learn more about the WVU Council for Women’s Concerns.

-WVU-

dc/04/10/14

CONTACT: Danielle Conaway, WVU Council for Women’s Concerns
304-293-3869 or conawayd@wvuhealthcare.com

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.