Just for one day, Washington’s working women will have the buying power of men.
On April 12, which is Equal Pay Day, local businesses are offering discounts of 21% to women and women’s advocates. Both the number 21% and the date April 12 are symbolic of the gap between men’s and women’s wages: Women working full time in the U.S. Only made 79 cents for every dollar a man made in 2015, meaning they need to work a little over three extra months each year to make up for the salary difference.
The initiative is being spearheaded by Lean In D.C., the capital’s chapter of Lean In, the nonprofit organization created by Facebook (FB) COO Sheryl Sandberg as a means of helping women achieve their ambitions.
“We need to value a woman’s work the same way we value a man’s,” wrote Hilary Badger, executive board member of Lean In DC, in a statement. “The pay gap holds back women, families and our economy—but the DC community can change that, and the first step is drawing attention to the problem and supporting businesses that are committed to closing the pay gap.”
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Participating businesses include fitness chain PureBarre and clothing rental company Rent the Runway.
