Soroptimist International of Oak Harbor is making sure the community recognizes Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, April 16.

Mayor Patty Cohen will officially declare Equal Pay Day in Oak Harbor, which symbolizes the disparity in pay between men and women.

According to a Soroptimist news release, women need to work seven days a week to make the money earned by men in five days. Census Bureau statistics show that in 2000, working women made only 73 percent of the earnings of working men. That’s up 14 percent since 1963 when the Equal Pay Act was signed into law in the U.S.

The Oak Harbor club helps women improve their economic situation through additional training and education. Equal Pay Day is an annual event sponsored by the National Committee for Pay Equity, of which Soroptimist International of the Americas is a member.