National Equal Pay Day [Video]

President Obama has declared today, April 8th National Equal Pay Day to acknowledge the injustice of wage inequality, and join efforts to achieve equal pay for women. Erie County officials will join together with Women's groups to observe the day. Details inside.

On National Equal Pay Day, we mark how far into the new year women would have to work to earn the same as men did in the previous year. Simply put a woman generally has to work until the 8th of April in 2014 to earn what a man earned as of December 31st 2013.

In his Presidential Proclamation released yesterday on Whitehouse.gov, President Obama stated:

"Women make up nearly half of our Nation's workforce and are primary breadwinners in 4 in 10 American households with children under age 18. Yet from boardrooms to classrooms to factory floors, their talent and hard work are not reflected on the payroll. Today, women still make only 77 cents to every man's dollar, and the pay gap is even wider for women of color."

"I call upon all Americans to recognize the full value of women's skills and their significant contributions to the labor force, acknowledge the injustice of wage inequality, and join efforts to achieve equal pay."

President Obama added.

As a businesswoman myself, I can tell you that we are still not looked at as equals in male-dominated industries. But that should never be an excuse for quitting or giving up the fight for true gender equality! Start by wearing RED today and stand in solidarity with the mission.

Today Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz joined the American Association of University Women, Junior League of Buffalo, WNY Women’s Foundation and the Women’s Business Center at Canisius to make it clear that businesses that want tax breaks from Erie County will have to make sure the men and women who work for them earn equal pay.