The Treasury Department has spent the year gathering suggestions on which famous American woman should appear on the new $10 bill.
With #TheReal10, a campaign launched Monday by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the public won't have to wait to see how a woman looks on the banknote; women can now upload a photo of themselves to a mock bill.
It would be an inspiring exercise, but there's one catch: The bill isn't actually "worth" $10.
Hispanic women are paid 54% of what white men are paid: https://t.co/BqNwQquQhi #TheReal10 via @adrimartinez04 pic.twitter.com/uE2ZbXI0IG— AAUW (@AAUW) November 2, 2015
Instead, to reflect the pay gap, the bill's value is $7.90 because, on average, women make $0.79 for every dollar a white man earns. The bill also changes its value depending on the race or ethnicity of the woman uploading the photo.
While Asian-American ($9) and white ($7.80) women earn as much or more than the average, African-American ($6.30) and Hispanic ($5.40) women earn much less.
The disparities are based on the median average earnings of full-time workers.
Women are paid 79% of what men are paid. Here's #TheReal10 for me: https://t.co/Sw6AqlGYo2 #TheNew10 #equalpay @AAUW pic.twitter.com/u7hEIrbMlW— Renee Davidson (@reneetheorizes) November 2, 2015
The graphic representation of the pay gap is the latest effort to draw attention to the issue. Last week, a gender and economic equality campaign called Make it Work released a video of boys and girls selling lemonade at a stand but being paid differently based on their gender and race.
The pay gap has also become a talking point for presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton routinely mentions it on the campaign trail and Republican candidates addressed the issue during their recent CNBC debate.
Several factors, according to AAUW research, help explain the pay gap. These include the pressure on women to reduce their hours or quit the workforce once they become parents, and the concentration of women in traditionally feminine jobs like nursing, teaching and childcare, which often pay substantially less than fields dominated by men.
#AfricanAmerican women R paid 63% of white men are paid. Here's my #TheReal10 #TheNew10 https://t.co/cvmxaT8g0H https://t.co/EtuQwG5z7E— Rep Donna F Edwards (@repdonnaedwards) November 3, 2015
However, says the AAUW, changing women's choices wouldn't fully eliminate the gap. That would require ensuring equal pay for men and women who have the same credentials and experience, as well as policies that ensure mothers can remain in the workforce if they choose.
Get the full story: Women are paid 79% of what men are paid. Here's #TheReal10 for me. https://t.co/N9Ai4lRuvm pic.twitter.com/lhphdL1iVP— calamityame (@amybeck514) November 3, 2015
Those ideas aren't easy to convey with a fake $10 bill or faux lemonade stand, but they are questions worth asking ourselves and each other.