Latina Equal Pay Day — the day when Latina pay catches up to that of White, non-Hispanic men from the previous year. This year it is being observed on November 29, 2020.
More than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Latinas typically earn only 54 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men and must work more than 22 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months. Indeed, given that this is the last “Equal Pay Day” observance of the year, Latinas must typically work longer than … everyone.
This disparity hurts not only Latinas, but also the families and communities they support. In 2017, this is unacceptable. We need to act now and let everyone know that we support #LatinaEqualPay! Join the women’s rights community, Latino advocacy organizations, the labor movement and workers’ rights advocates for the #LatinaEqualPay Day.
Blog contributor Corine Sandifer covers thoroughly the facts on this important issue and the actions to be taken to close this 47% pay gap that hurts Latino families, and follow Latinas into retirement. Read on!
We will be on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn using the primary hashtag #LatinaEqualPay and secondary hashtags #Trabajadoras, #EqualPay and #LatinxEqualPay. A toolkit including educational resources, sample promotional tweets, info-graphics, and memes can be found at http://www.latinaequalpay.org/.
People are overly optimistic about the state of Latinas
Over four in ten white men think obstacles to advancement for Latinas are gone, but just 32% of Latinas agree. Moreover, nearly 62% of people who are not Latino think that racism, sexism, or both are uncommon in their company. Yet 51% of Latinas say they’ve experienced discrimination at work taken from a Survey by SurveyMonkey conducted on March 22-27, 2018.
This reality is what Latina’s in the U.S. face every day, and it’s holding us back from reaching our highest ambitions and our toughest goals.
Is it because Latinas choose worse paying jobs?
Many people think the gap exists because Latinas choose worse paying jobs. A third of Americans believe the gap occurs because Latinas work in occupations that don’t pay as much – and four in 10 white men think so. Only 20% of Latinos agree with that assessment yet when Latinas are in the same careers as white man they are paid significantly less. It is important to note that Latinas are overrepresented in low-wage jobs, and underrepresented in high-wage. What is frustrating for me is that they are still paid less than white men in the exact same jobs, even when they have high-wage jobs.
The unfortunate double discrimination
Latinas face unique challenges in the workplace. They are subject to biases for being women and biases for being people of color. This kind of double discrimination can intensify common biases faced by Latinas, but it can also play out in distinct forms of bias not faced by women more broadly.
Turn Awareness into Action
These stats are pretty upsetting. We cannot sit back and let this go unnoticed. Obviously, we still have a long way to go to close this wage gap for Latina women. There are ways for all of us (not just Latinas) to fight this wage gap. Here are just a few call to action provocations.
- Many Equal Rights Advocates are taking the lead on implementation and enforcement efforts related to the Fair Pay Act. Find out who they are in your city.
- Vote at this year’s election on November 6.
- Tell your representatives in Congress to vote for legislation that will close the Latina Wage Gap.
- Read and Share the LeanIn.org & McKinsey annual study on Women in the Workplace
- Support your Latina co-workers & friends (If you don’t have one, connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram)
You can also turn awareness into action by joining a Lean In circle and taking strides toward a more equal world. Lean In Circles are small peer groups that meet regularly to share ideas, gain skills, seek advice, and show solidarity. They’re a place where women can be unapologetically ambitious. Being in a circle has allowed me to ask for what I want and to aim higher. I am supported by a whole world of powerful women.
This article was also published on LinkedIn On October 31. 2018 and has been updated to October 29, 2020.
