    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8502--APR. 20, 2010

    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

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    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.
    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.
    BARACK OBAMA