The May issue of Redbook magazine has a great story entitled “Are Women Really Worth Less than Men? Our Government Says No, Our Paychecks Say Yes.” The article talks about the gender wage disparity that will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages. It also features quotes from Lisa Maatz, AAUW’s top public policy adviser, whose areas of expertise include gender equity in education, Title IX, retirement security, pay equity, and other civil rights issues related to women and girls.

This Sunday beginning at 10 p.m., you can ask Lisa questions about the wage gap. She’ll join the Fem2.0 Twittercast on pay equity, along with experts from the National Women’s Law Center. The Sunday night chat will be hosted by Liza Sabater, a.k.a. blogdiva of Culture Kitchen, and Jill Miller Zimon of Writes Like She Talks. 

To join in on the conversation, go to tweetchat.com, log in, and enter the fem2 room.

This chat is a good way to get ready for Equal Pay Day, Tuesday, April 28, the symbolic date at which a woman’s salary finally catches up to her male counterpart from the previous year. Many AAUW members and supporters will wear red on Equal Pay Day to show how pay inequity keeps women in the red. They will also ask their senators to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would help create a climate in which wage discrimination is not tolerated. What will you do?

Now—even in this tough economy—is the time to fight for pay equity. In fact, the issue is more critical at this time because so many families across the nation are depending on a woman’s salary as their primary source of income. Bottom line: Wage discrimination doesn’t just hurt women; their families suffer as well.

To learn more, visit http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/EqualPayDay.cfm.