Pay Equity: Do You Have Five Minutes?

As the Senate proceeds with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the recently House-approved Paycheck Fairness Act glimmers on the horizon, it's a great time to find out more about pay equity. Women currently make 78 cents to a man's dollar, which over time adds up to $1,200,000 less in income than men over a lifetime for college educated women. For high school educated women, the lost earnings amount to a whopping $700,000.

Want to get involved, but don't know where to start? Here are five ways you can learn more about pay equity in five minutes:

1) Got Cents?: The Fair Pay Cents quiz was created by the National Committee on Pay Equity to test your knowledge on the wage gap. Click here to take the quiz!

2) Know Your Rights: Do your quiz results have you wanting to learn more? In 2006, then-Senator Hillary Clinton hosted a "Pay Equity for Women" seminar where she released "Know What to Ask and Know Your Rights: A Pay Equity Guide on How to Help Yourself in the Workplace." This brief guide outlines tips for successful pay negotiations and what you should do if you suspect that you've been a victim of pay discrimination. Click here to download the pdf.

3) Tell a Friend: Want to inform your friends about pay inequity? Why not send them a "Keep the Change" card from AAUW? AAUW recently launched their "Keep the Change Until Women Have Real Change" campaign. Tell your friends about pay equity by visiting http://www.aauw.org/postcards/keepthechange.cfm

4) Tell a Senator: The Lilly Ledbetter Paycheck Fairness Act is currently being discussed in the Senate and will be up for a vote in the very near future. Let your senators know if pay equity is important to you by contacting them. You can find contact information for your senators at www.senate.gov. Not sure what to say? AAUW has a message you can send via e-mail and will send it for you: all you have to do is enter your name and zip code. Find out more by visiting the AAUW website.

5) Stay tuned: We will continue posting updates on the status of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as it moves through the Senate. So check back for updates this week!