Ahead of Pay Equity Day, A Valencia Student Weighs in on Equal Pay for Women
Monday, April 7, 2014
By: Carmel Delshad

April 7, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando - Tuesday is Pay Equity Day--and President Obama is expected to sign an executive order that will give more transparency into the wages women earn. It's a plan President Obama first previewed at Orlando's Valencia College last month.

An e-card on the White House's Equal Pay page highlights the campaign for Pay Equity Day. Photo: WhiteHouse.gov.

The executive order would require Federal contractors to give the Labor Department data about their employees' pay, along with their race and gender.

The idea of equal pay is one that 20-year-old Lietsel Richardson supports. The Valencia College student is majoring in mechanical engineering, an admittedly male-dominated field. After Obama’s remarks at Valencia, Richardson was visibly moved.

“It’s really compelling to me, and motivating even, knowing that we have a president that is motivating women like myself to go into these fields and really break the mold,” says Richardson.

The executive order will also prohibit federal contractors from retaliating against workers who discuss their salaries.