March 31 is the day in 2020 that marks how far women have to work into this year to catch up to what men made last year. In 2019, Equal Pay Day fell on April 3, so we’ve made a bit of progress. But women have a long way to go!
Women are still paid 81 cents to every dollar a man makes. For women of color, women in executive positions, women in certain occupations and industries, and in some U.S. states, the wage gap is even bigger.
And now we’re in the middle of a global pandemic. Think about women as first responders in the defense against COVID-19. Women providing essential services like child care and health care. Women who have – or had – jobs in restaurants, retail and hotels.
On Equal Pay Day, we collected some thoughts about the issue.
Diane Greenberg
Peconic Bay Zonta president
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| photo by Bill Greenberg |
“This year I will stay home to tend to my house plants and attend the virtual NYC Equal Pay Day rally on my computer. I miss seeing my Zonta friends in person, but we all must stay safe and healthy.
“It's an especially difficult time for women and the families who depend on their income. Peconic Bay Zonta will continue to highlight the barriers that women face, such as unequal working conditions and gender stereotypes.”
Anita Cohen
Friend of Peconic Bay Zonta
“Equal pay for equal work seems a never-ending battle for working women, so I am happy to see that progress, however slow, is being made. Though I've retired, my daughters Linah, a wine professional, and Diana, a business executive, still struggle for equal recognition and pay parity.
“I was a feminist, but not nearly as confident as they are in fighting for equal pay with the powers that be. They recognize their worth, certain that they deserve increases and promotions that are comparable to men’s.
"Now their fight has trickled down to my granddaughters. Last year, Isis, then 15, made a documentary in her film class called "Women and Their Goals," featuring the observations of all three generations of our family's feminists. She ended with her younger sister Aiyanna, 10, speaking of reaching her future dream with great confidence. May her dreams – and those we all hold for women's equality – come true.
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| photo by Peter Hutchings |
"Here is a family picture from Linah and Jay's wedding: front, L-R – Sarinah (Jay's daughter), Isis, Aiyanna, Anita, Geli (L&D’s mother); back, L-R – Marty, Jay, Linah, Florah (oldest sister), Diana and Corey."
Mona Rowe
Peconic Bay advocacy chair and webmaster
"I spent the evening watching films by women, for women and about women. One dealt with child marriage, another about equal pay. Both are long-standing issues for Zonta International.
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| photo by Michael Rowe |
"This month, Peconic Bay would have been planning our third LUNAFEST®. Kathy Walker and other members have organized this film festival on eastern Long Island for two years. It’s one of the ways we raise money for our English as a Second Language scholarship for women at Suffolk County Community College and our music scholarship for a young woman at the East End Arts music school.
"Some time before year’s end, when the country shows signs of recovery, we can look forward to another LUNAFEST®. It will be a time to cheer all women and girls, with a shared sense of responsibility to work toward achieving equal rights."
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