The state Assembly recently passed a resolution making April 8 Pay Equity Day.

Pay Equity Day recognizes gender-based wage disparity by marking how far into the new year women must work to earn what men did in the previous one, according to a statement from Assemblywoman Addie Russell. Women, who make up nearly half of our nation's workforce, earn 23 percent less on average than men for equal work, according to the release.

In January, the Assembly passed the Women's Equality Act, which Russell supported.

It includes reforms that would address pay inequity, end gender-based discrimination, increase protections for victims of domestic violence and reinforce women’s health and reproductive rights.

The Senate has yet to vote on it.

The act includes 10 points intended to:

• Achieve pay equity

• Prevent sexual harassment in the workplace

• Strengthen human trafficking laws

• Protect domestic violence victims

• Protect reproductive rights

• End housing discrimination for victims of domestic violence

• End family status discrimination

• Prevent pregnancy discrimination

• Remove barriers to remedying discrimination

• Stop source-of-income discrimination