WHEREAS, more than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, women and people of color continue to suffer the consequences of inequitable pay differentials; and

WHEREAS, according to statistics released in 2016 by the U.S. Census Bureau, year-round, full-time working women in 2015 earned only 80% of the earnings of year-round, full-time working men, indicating little change or progress in pay equity; and 

WHEREAS, according to a January 2002 report released by the General Accounting Office (the investigative arm of Congress), women managers in 7 of 10 industries surveyed, actually lost ground in closing the wage gap between 1995 and 2000; and

WHEREAS, according to an analysis of data in over 300 classifications provided by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics in 2001, women earn less in every occupational classification for which enough data is available, including occupations dominated by women (e.g., cashiers, retail sales, registered nurses and teachers); and

WHEREAS, higher education is not free from wage discrimination according to a U.S. Department of Education analysis, reporting that, after controlling for rank, age, credentials, field of study and other factors, full-time female faculty members earn nearly 9% less than their male counterparts; and

WHEREAS, the (insert a state/local report here…perhaps from an Equal Pay Commission Study or a report from your Commission on the Status of Women); and

WHEREAS, over a working lifetime, this wage disparity costs the average American woman and her family $700,000 to $2 million in lost wages, impacting Social Security benefits and pensions; and

WHEREAS, fair pay equity policies can be implemented simply and without undue costs or hardship in both the public and private sectors; and

WHEREAS, fair pay strengthens the security of families today and eases future retirement costs, while enhancing the American economy; and

WHEREAS, Tuesday, March 12, 2024 symbolizes the time this year in which the wages paid to American women catch up to the wages paid to men from the previous year,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, (insert name of Mayor/Commissioner/etc), do hereby proclaim Tuesday, March 12, 2024:

EQUAL PAY DAY

in (insert name of City/County/State) and urge the citizens of (insert name of City/County/State) to recognize the full value of women's skills and significant contributions to the labor force, and further encourages businesses to conduct an internal pay evaluation to ensure women are being paid fairly.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the official seal of (insert name of City/County/State) to be affixed.

Signature

Date