Tsongas Marks Equal Pay Day With Support For New Legislation

While most Americans know April 15 as Tax Day, Concord's congresswoman is looking to spread awareness on a different April date of note.

On April 9, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell) released a statement on "Equal Pay Day."

The 99th day of 2013, Equal Pay Day marks how many additional days in 2012 women would have had to work in 2012 to keep working in order to earn equal pay to their male counterparts.

Currently, American women earn on average 77 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts.

Tsongas marked the day by noting her co-sponsorship of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a piece of legislation designed to address the issue.

“I will continue to stand with women and men who are making the case for equal rights on this day and throughout the year," said Tsongas. "We must continue to build on these signs of progress to advance the rights of women, benefit middle class families, and strengthen our nation.”

Critics of the gender wage gap indicate that much of the difference between men and women on average comes from women being more likely to interupt their careers to start a family, as well as choosing careers that are not as financially lucrative as those chosen on average by men.