South Raleigh News

Today, Governor Josh Stein declared March 25 as North Carolina Equal Pay Day. This day aims to bring attention to the persistent gender pay gap and encourage various sectors to work towards closing this disparity for women.

Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. Women in North Carolina, like their counterparts across the United States, continue to face a wage gap, with women of color experiencing even larger differences.

Governor Stein emphasized the benefits of closing this gap: “Closing the gender pay gap would make our families, our economy, and our state more prosperous,” he stated. He reiterated his commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all North Carolinians.

Gabriel J. Esparza, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration, highlighted that eliminating pay inequities would benefit not only women but also children and families in North Carolina. "More than half the state’s population are women and many women are the primary breadwinners for their families," he said. He stressed that wages should be based on skill and effort rather than gender.

The 2023 State of Working North Carolina report revealed that in 2022, full-time working women earned $2.04 less per hour than men on average. The gap was wider for Latina and Black women who earned $7.23 and $3.45 less respectively compared to men of all races.

To combat these disparities, since 2019, state agencies have stopped using salary history during hiring processes as it can perpetuate lower wages for women doing similar work as men.

Earlier this week at a Women's History Month Reception at the Executive Mansion, Governor Stein signed a proclamation recognizing March as Women's History Month under this year's theme "Women in Leadership."

Efforts to attract more females into government roles include programs like the Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program which encourages high school girls' interest in STEM careers within state government by providing practical experience.

Additionally, career awareness initiatives such as Students@Work expose middle school students to potential career paths they might not have considered otherwise. Last month marked the 15th anniversary of Students@Work which promotes opportunities in fields like biotechnology and construction where female representation is typically low.

These programs aim to address pay inequities by inspiring young people—especially young women—to pursue high-growth and high-earning careers.