Equal Pay Day: 10 Quotes From Women And Men Who Want To End The Gender Pay Gap
10 Quotes From Women And Men Who Totally Support Equal Pay Day
Rachel Moss— The Huffington Post UK
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Take two people, who have exactly the same skills and work exactly the same hours.
One gets paid more than the other, for no other reason aside from the fact that they have a different set of reproductive parts. Does that sound fair, or does that sound like the messed up premise from some totalitarian sci-fi novel?
This is what the equal pay argument is reduced to in this supposedly democratic, free-thinking world of ours . Women get paid less than men for the simple fact that they are women, nothing more, nothing less.
They now make up 47% of the UK workforce, but statistically they still earn 15.7% less than men per year.
Equal Pay Day aims to tackle gender inequality faced by working women, by asking why women are paid less than men for the same work and challenging the fact that there are still more men in high powered jobs than women.
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Beyoncé, just one of the celebrities who supports equal pay for women
Despite feminism's best efforts, the gender pay gap has actually got worse in the last year. Women will effectively work three days more for free than they did in 2013.
Vice-president of Equal Pay Day and EU commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship Viviane Reding, said: "European Equal Pay Day reminds us of the days and hours that women have been working 'for free' since 1 January.
"The principle of equal pay for equal work is written in the EU Treaties since 1957. It is high time that it is put in practice everywhere.
"I am grateful to the global Equal Pay Campaign Day for helping us to make this happen. Let us work together to deliver results not only on Equal Pay Days, but on all 365 days a year!"
Here are just some of the high profile women and men who have spoken up for equal pay....
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11 Celebrity Quotes For Equal Pay Day
Beyoncé(01 of11)
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"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change."Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect." (credit:James Devaney via Getty Images)
Sheryl Sandberg(02 of11)
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"It's time to cheer on girls and women who want to sit at the table." (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Caitlin Moran(03 of11)
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"I want a zero tolerance policy on all the patriarchal bullshit." (credit:Stuart C. Wilson via Getty Images)
Hillary Clinton(04 of11)
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"Equal pay is not yet equal. A woman makes 77 cents on a dollar and women of color make 67 cents... We feel so passionately about this because we are not only running for office, but we each, in our own way, have lived it. We have seen it. We have understood the pain and the injustice that has come because of race, because of gender. And it's imperative that... we make it very clear that each of us will address these issues." (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Barack Obama(05 of11)
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"Women should earn equal pay for equal work." (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Gloria Steinem(06 of11)
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"If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society." (credit:Jemal Countess via Getty Images)
Lena Dunham(07 of11)
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"So many women have come to this idea of feminism being anti-male and not able to connect with the opposite sex – but what feminism is about is equality and human rights." (credit:Stuart C. Wilson via Getty Images)
Janet Street-Porter(08 of11)
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"Far too many women are hesitant, and remain trapped in jobs for which they are over-qualified or paid beneath their worth." (credit:Ben Pruchnie via Getty Images)
Kerry Washington(09 of11)
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"Today there are people trying to take away rights that our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought for: our right to vote, our right to choose, affordable quality education, equal pay, access to health care. We, the people, can't let that happen." (credit:Frazer Harrison via Getty Images)
Emma Watson(10 of11)
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"The reality is that if we do nothing it will take 75 years, or for me to be nearly a hundred before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work." (credit:Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA via Getty Images)
Daniel Craig(11 of11)
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"A man is still likely to earn more money than a woman, even one doing the same job. You have a far better chance of entering political office or becoming a company director… Women are responsible for two thirds of the work done worldwide, yet earn only 10% of the total income and own 1% of the property… So, are we equals? Until the answer is yes, we must never stop asking.” (credit:Stephen Lovekin via Getty Images)
Jo Swinson, minister for women and equalities, told the Huffington Post UK: “More than forty years on from the Equal Pay Act, it is unacceptable that women still earn less than men.
“Most businesses do not intentionally discriminate against women on pay, but many are surprised by the result when they do the analysis.
“We must continue to use all avenues possible to reduce the gender pay gap, and I look forward to seeing how this is put into practice by businesses. Companies are to blame for the gender pay gap, not women.”