The National Equal Pay Day in the United States is intended to bring attention to the gender wage gap between American men and women.
April 12 marks an opportunity to highlight the amount of work women need so they can match what their male counterparts earn, and the figures are not worth celebrating for.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that women get paid 79 cents for every dollar that men earn. American women with full-time jobs earn on average a salary of $39,621, which is far behind the average salary of men who work full-time and earn an average of $50,383.
And it isn't just the U.S. having issues with wage disparity. Glassdoor Economic Research reported in March that men still earn more than women in Australia, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
The problem was highlighted more recently with the publicity involving members of the U.S. women's soccer team who are earning less than those in the men's team despite the fact that the women's team has already won three World Cup championships while the men's team has not won a World Cup title.
The problem exists even in the entertainment industry. Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence, for instance, earn less than her male counterparts despite being an award-winning actress.
"On average, women are paid 21 percent less than men. We can ask for the same exact thing that men do, and we do face the reality that we do get judged more," the actress has said about the disparity. "It's just something that is intrinsic, and I would love to see change."
President Barack Obama himself has acknowledged that despite efforts, wage disparity between men and women continue to exist in the U.S. He has asked congress to come up with a draft legislation to pressure employers to show that pay gap is not gender-based.
The president, however, seemed optimistic that gender wage gap would soon be a thing of the past.
He said he looks forward to a time when girls would be "astonished" to know that there was a time when women earned less than men and no woman has yet occupied the Oval Office.
"I don't know how long it will take to get there, but I know we're getting closer to that day," he said. "If we truly value fairness then America should be a level playing field."
