Women, unfortunately, have been fighting for gender equality since, well, forever. The struggle for genders to be treated and viewed as equals is one that extends through all facets of life, yet the gender wage gap often sees the most light of day.
According to the Center For American Progress, for every $1 that a white male earns, a white woman will earn 79 cents, a Black woman will earn 62 cents, an American Indian woman will earn 57 cents, an Asian woman will earn 90 cents, and a Hispanic or Latina woman will earn 54 cents. The disparity is staggering, to say the least.
While the gender pay gap is an issue very much at the forefront of people’s minds, the U.S. Mint has freshly unveiled the women that will get featured on the upcoming designs for the quarter. Each of the five designs was created by artists in the Artistic Infusion Program.
The Mint has promised to release five quarters every year for the next four years that celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments of American women who have impacted society. The first five women, selected by the Secretary of the Treasury, include Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong.
The design included with each woman’s coin is descriptive of their accomplishments or showcases details from their societal enrichments. For example, Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to be elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, is showcased gazing firmly into the future wrapped in a traditional shawl with the Cherokee Nation’s seven-pointed star sitting steadfastly to her left.
Not only do these coins ensure that the legacy of these women lives on through the hands and transactions of generations to come, but it also inspires future generations to stay determined, persistent, and willing to make changes that can often be deemed impossible.
In fact, just my two cents here, maybe highlighting women on our coins will inspire systemic changes in workplace biases. Probably not though.
