Equal Pay Day 2014: Latinas Makes Less Than Other Women, Obama Signs Act to Lessen Gender Pay Gap

By Yara Simón| Apr 08, 2014

Tuesday, April 8 marks Equal Pay Day, an annual event that explains that women make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes for the same work. While women are still behind men in equal pay, there are some that are lagging further behind.

According to a study titled The Gender Wage Gap, Hispanic women earn the least amount of money weekly at $541. On the other hand, black women make $606 weekly, white women make $722 and Asian women make $809 per week.

The seven-page document says that though more than 50 years have passed since the law declared there can't be discrimination in pay, the gap continues to persist. Women who work as nurses, cashiers, maids or waitresses are generally marginally above or at the federal poverty line.

And for Latina women who work in manufacturing, transportation or moving, the results are even worse. They make $410 a week.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed an act to try to lessen gender pay gap. The executive order will make information on wages more readily available by gender and by race, according to the Associated Press.

"Restoring opportunity for all has to be our priority, making sure the economy rewards hard work for every single American. Because when women succeed, America succeeds," Obama said in a speech. "We are going to work to make sure that our daughters have the same chance to pursue their dreams as our sons."

He also added that in America there are no "second class citizens."

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