March 14 is Equal Pay Day. The date symbolizes how far into the year women have to work to earn what men did in the previous year.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, a champion of gender equality in the workplace, spoke during a national webinar Tuesday (March 14) on the topic. She also reacted to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) showing the persistence of the gender pay gap.
“Times have changed, but too much hasn’t changed, and that’s what’s bothering me,” said Dingell.
Regarding pay, the study found women working full-time earned an estimated 76 cents for every dollar men earned.
Another key finding from the study showed that women remain underrepresented in management roles. Additionally, it found the pay gap between women and men is even more prominent in management roles, with female managers earning 71 cents for every dollar male managers earned.
Dingell, a former General Motors executive, reflected on her own history in the workplace and her commitment to helping women move forward.
“I have a lot of stories in the three decades that I was inside that auto industry, and I fear still too much of it has not changed, and we need to be working on that,” Dingell said.
Dingell said to address the disparity, Democrats in Congress have introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act.
