Men paid a quarter more than women for a cupcake to represent the difference a woman earns for every dollar a man earns at Amnesty International BSU’s event Monday.
“Generally, women make about 75-77 percent of what men make in the workforce,” Natalie Abell, an Amnesty International member, said.
In order to represent this statistic, men paid $1 for a cupcake while women paid a reduced 75 cents.
Abell said she hopes the bake sale will prompt people to think about the wage gap.
“We’re just trying to make people aware,” she said.
During the sale, a group of men walked by the stand and yelled, “You’re making it worse.”
“We’re making it obvious,” Abell replied.
The wage gap is still prevalent, even in other countries, especially in fields where there is significant opportunity for a woman to be in power, such as big businesses and fields regarding science, Abell said.
Brian Kowalski, a member of Amnesty International BSU, said some men might find wage inequality a hard concept to wrap their heads around.
“It’s hard to support the idea that ‘I’m more exceptional than somebody who’s female,’” he said, putting himself in the mindset of the average man. “I don’t want to come to terms with that because I have to come to terms with equality and feminism and other things that aren’t really supported in a mainstream cultural context.”
Kowalski said some people might see the bake sale as reverse discrimination.
“It’s supposed to be pressure against the idea that women get less money,” Abell said. “It’s controversial, but it’s true.”
More women bought cupcakes than men as the bake sale went on.
Andrew Cutshaw, a senior theatre major, said he came to the booth because of the message.
“I think it’s interesting,” Cutshaw said. “It’s kind of ridiculous to have the pay difference in general.”
Amnesty International BSU is focusing on three issues this semester, Abell said, one of them being women’s rights.
The bake sale is just one of the events the group will host to garner awareness for women’s rights.
Amnesty International also will show “Miss Representation,” a documentary on mainstream media’s portrayal of women, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Bracken Library and will host a protest later in the year.
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