Sheryl Sandberg’s LeanIn.Org Launches Equal Pay Campaign

Sheryl Sandberg‘s LeanIn.Org is launching a new campaign designed to remind Americans that women are still paid 20 percent less than men, on average, in the United States – and just in time for Equal Pay Day.

The #20PercentCounts campaign, kicking off on April 4, is in partnership with businesses in 25 different U.S. cities. Brands like LUNA and Lyft are offering 20 percent discounts or special offers to spread the message.

“Equal pay is essential to the goal of gender equality,” Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org, said in a statement. “This issue speaks to how we value women’s labor, knowledge, time, training, and so much more. In short, it’s about women’s worth. There’s nothing more fundamental than that.”

The date is significant for Equal Pay Day: it marks how far into 2017 women would need to work to earn what men were paid in the year prior.

According to a release from LeanIn.org, the gender pay gap gets worse when broken down by race and ethnicity, with black women paid 37 percent less than men. Hispanic women are paid 46 percent less.

Participants are encouraged to post about the campaign and Equal Pay Day on social media using the hashtag #20PercentCounts.