Equal Pay Day is a symbolic day in April every year that marks how far into the new year women have to work to finally earn the same as men did the previous year – a reminder that women work almost 16 months to earn what men make in 12 months. For every dollar a man makes, a woman typically makes 78 cents.

Many dismiss the gender pay gap as a matter of choices women make. Yet, women who make the same educational and occupational choices as men still earn less, even when considering college major, hours worked, GPA, age and many other factors.

Women who are financial specialists make 66 percent of what men earn in the same occupation, women physicians earn 71 percent of men’s wages; women who are lawyers and judges make 82 percent. More than 90 percent of nurses are women, yet male nurses make $5,100 more a year than females in similar positions, and male nurse anesthetists are paid $17,000 more on average each year than female nurse anesthetists.

The pay gap is greatest for women of color. The pay gap exists for women without children. The pay gap grows with age. The pay gap is found in every state. In our congressional district, median earnings for men are $46,738 and $35,840 for women.

One of the top priorities for the American Association of University Women is for Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. This act will close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, now more than 50 years old, which prevent the original legislation from fully addressing the pay gap. AAUW works to end pay discrimination and open doors for women in the workplace. AAUW believes that pay equity is not only essential to the economic security of families, it is a simple matter of fairness.

Donna Nelson, American Association of University Women

Durango