[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 78 (Friday, April 23, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 21155-21156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9624]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 78 / Friday, April 23, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 21155]]

                Proclamation 8502 of April 20, 2010

                
National Equal Pay Day, 2010

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Throughout our Nation's history, extraordinary women 
                have broken barriers to achieve their dreams and blazed 
                trails so their daughters would not face similar 
                obstacles. Despite decades of progress, pay inequity 
                still hinders women and their families across our 
                country. National Equal Pay Day symbolizes the day when 
                an average American woman's earnings finally match what 
                an average American man earned in the past year. Today, 
                we renew our commitment to end wage discrimination and 
                celebrate the strength and vibrancy women add to our 
                economy.

                Our Nation's workforce includes more women than ever 
                before. In households across the country, many women 
                are the sole breadwinner, or share this role equally 
                with their partner. However, wage discrimination still 
                exists. Nearly half of all working Americans are women, 
                yet they earn only about 80 cents for every dollar men 
                earn. This gap increases among minority women and those 
                with disabilities.

                Pay inequity is not just an issue for women; American 
                families, communities, and our entire economy suffer as 
                a result of this disparity. We are still recovering 
                from our economic crisis, and many hardworking 
                Americans are still feeling its effects. Too many 
                families are struggling to pay their bills or put food 
                on the table, and this challenge should not be 
                exacerbated by discrimination. I was proud that the 
                first bill I signed into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair 
                Pay Restoration Act, helps women achieve wage fairness. 
                This law brings us closer to ending pay disparities 
                based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, or 
                disability by allowing more individuals to challenge 
                inequality.

                To further highlight the challenges women face and to 
                provide a coordinated Federal response, I established 
                the White House Council on Women and Girls. My 
                Administration also created a National Equal Pay 
                Enforcement Task Force to bolster enforcement of pay 
                discrimination laws, making sure women get equal pay 
                for an equal day's work. And, because the importance of 
                empowering women extends beyond our borders, my 
                Administration created the first Office for Global 
                Women's Issues at the Department of State.

                We are all responsible for ensuring every American is 
                treated equally. From reshaping attitudes to developing 
                more comprehensive community-wide efforts, we are 
                taking steps to eliminate the barriers women face in 
                the workforce. Today, let us reaffirm our pledge to 
                erase this injustice, bring our Nation closer to the 
                liberty promised by our founding documents, and give 
                our daughters and granddaughters the gift of true 
                equality.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim April 20, 2010, as 
                National Equal Pay Day. I call upon all Americans to 
                acknowledge the injustice of wage discrimination and 
                join my Administration's efforts to achieve equal pay 
                for equal work.

[[Page 21156]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-9624
Filed 4-22-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W0-P