Tuesday, April 12, 2016, was Equal Pay Day. It aimed to raise awareness of the gender wage gap by showing how much longer a woman would need to work than a man to make the same amount of money. So, according to the White House Blog, if a man and a woman worked the same job for the year of 2015, it would take the woman three months and 12 days more to make the same amount of money as the man. Check out some of the ways Americans celebrated or raised awareness of Equal Pay Day:
1. Lean In DC organized discounts for women (and men) all over the city.
Women and men in DC celebrated Equal Pay Day with 21% (the difference between pays) discounts to places like restaurants, Pure Barre studios, boutiques, and more.
2. Facebook & Microsoft announced that they pay their employees equally.
This is good news for the tech industry which is often criticized for lacking gender diversity. Seventy-five percent of the industry is male.
3. Your favorite celebrities took to Twitter.
From Shonda Rhimes to Sheryl Crow, your favorite celebrities were tweeting in favor of equal pay. Even Mark Ruffalo shared his support.
4. The Columbus Museum of Art hosted #wageart, a day of discussion about pay inequality.
The event included pop-up presentations, interventions, screenings, and a panel of influential women.
5. This Jimmy Kimmel video of children being asked why women make less than men went viral.
We mostly just relate to the kid in the Spiderman jacket.