Why You Should Care about Latina Equal Pay Day

Although it is repeated that all people should receive the same compensation when they perform the same task, the truth is that in many cases this does not happen. Men tend to earn more than women. And when it comes to white men and Latina or black women the gap widens. The same is true about other minorities. To raise awareness about this problem, the International Equal Pay Day emerged.

In 2024, The U.N. established March 12th as International Equal Pay Day. It was designated as a date to point out the difference in wages associated to gender, but it can be extended to race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or any minority. To understand this, in 2024 in the U.S., women earned $0.84 for every dollar a man was paid. And the gap widens when you add ethnicity to the equation: Latinas are paid $0.54 for every dollar a white man makes.

2024 Equal Pay Day Calendar

• All Women’s Equal Pay Day – March 12
• Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day – April 3
• LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day – June 13
• Black Women’s Equal Pay Day – July 9
• Moms’ Equal Pay Day – August 7
• Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day – August 28
• Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day – September 18
• Latina Equal Pay Day – October 3
• Native Women’s Equal Pay Day – November 21

And this does not only impact on the present wellbeing of families, but also in the future generations, depending on how the family is formed. If it´s led by a black or Latino single mother, she’s probably going to get less money, even if she works as much as her male white peers, and face difficulties to pay for her kids’ studies, save for retirement or even buy a house. Even though this happens in almost every occupation and industry, it’s more so in those traditionally thought as male oriented.

There are legislations to support this. The Civil Rights Act (1964) prohibited the discrimination of people based on race, religion, color, or sex. And in 1983, the Equal Pay Act stated that employees of all sexes should be paid the same for jobs with similar working conditions and requiring the same amount of skill, effort, and responsibility. But there are still people who deny that these differences still occur. 

The Equal Pay Act covers all forms of pay, including salary, overtime pay, bonuses, stock options, profit sharing and bonus plans, life insurance, vacation and holiday pay, cleaning or gasoline allowances, hotel accommodations, reimbursement for travel expenses, and benefits. If a person claims there is an inequality in wages, they may go directly to court – within two years of the alleged unlawful compensation practice or, in the case of a willful violation, within three years – and is not required to file charges beforehand. The discrimination can be based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.

Why is Equal Pay Day Important

There are studies that show that women tend to postpone their career plans to dedicate themselves to childcare or the care of elders in the family. They also tend to have gaps in their resume because they take time off to do so and choose works that demand less hours. And for all these reasons, and many more – like the fact that they avoid working night shifts or overtime- they make less money than their male counterparts. 

When you think of the implications that this has on the lives and the opportunities of many families, particularly those that are part of minorities, the International Equal Pay Day gains significance. And it should be a day to discuss the many changes that are necessary to start setting the road for true equity.