April 7th marks Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day, the first in the annual series of Equal Pay Days focusing on the gender and racial pay gaps specific groups of women face.
AANHPI women working full-time in New York earn on average 86 cents for every dollar white, non-Hispanic men earn. That is a loss of $475,920 of lifetime earnings, meaning they must work until age 67 in order to catch up to white men’s career earnings at age 60. When including part-time and underemployed workers, Asian women lose even more, taking home only 70 cents to every dollar a white man earns.
Examining breakdowns of Asian women’s wage gap data by ethnicity reveals that some groups, like Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, and Burmese women, face some of the largest gender wage gaps of any U.S. group. Bhutanese women stand to lose over $1.3 million compared to white, non-Hispanic men, Burmese women stand to lose over $1.1 million, and Nepalese women over $1 million as a result of the wage gap over the course of their careers.
To truly understand and correct the economic injustice AANHPI women face, we must push for disaggregated pay data on the New York state level, in addition to stronger transparency laws being proposed in NYC and NYS.
Join us during the national social media hour at 2pm April 7th using hashtags #AANHPIEqualPayDay and #EqualPayNY. See the NY Toolkit for sample posts and graphics: bit.ly/AANHPI-EPD
Leaders across the state called out the causes of the continuing wage gap for AANHPI Women, and pushed for solutions. See some of their statements below and at PowHerNY.org
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams
“It is unacceptable that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women are still paid 86 cents on the dollar for the same work as their white male counterparts in New York,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “These disparities are not only unjust, but also harmful to our economy, hampering opportunities for our AANHPI communities that help power our city’s workforce. Our women-majority City Council remains focused on building on our progress to advance pay equity and economic justice. We express our full commitment towards the goal of ensuring all New Yorkers receive fair wages for their labor.”
New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
“Equal pay is a fundamental issue of economic justice, yet Asian women working full-time in New York earn only 86 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes – this is unacceptable,” said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “My bill, Introduction 808, would strengthen pay transparency by requiring employers to disclose not just salaries but also benefits like healthcare and bonuses. Expanding access to clear, accurate pay data is essential to closing these gaps and holding employers accountable. Fair pay isn’t a privilege—it’s a right.”
New York City Council Member Julie Won
“It’s 2025, and Asian women only make 86 cents to every dollar a white man makes. The difference is more stark for Nepalese, Burmese, and Bhutanese women, who make only 62 cents, 54 cents, and 48 cents, respectively, for every dollar a white man makes,” said Council Member Julie Won. “As an Asian woman in the City Council, I will continue supporting wage transparency legislation like Intros. 982 and 984 and work with our state partners to demand disaggregated pay data so we can understand and fight pay inequity for AANHPI women in our city.”
New York State Assemblymember Ron Kim
“I stand in strong support of AANHPI Women’s Equal Pay Day and the ongoing fight for pay equity. In New York, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women continue to face significant wage disparities that can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars lost over a lifetime of work. We must strengthen and expand pay transparency laws, advocate for disaggregated pay data, and invest in essential sectors like the care economy to address systemic economic inequality. New York has led the way in advancing pay equity, but much more remains to be done. I remain committed to fighting for policies that ensure fair wages and economic justice for all.”
New York City Council Member Gale Brewer
New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan
Alisa Kesten, Vice-Chair, Westchester Women’s Agenda
“Asian American Women’s Equal Pay Day is a reminder that the fight for fair pay is far from over. In New York State, we’ve made real progress—but the numbers don’t lie: Asian American women still earn just 86 cents for every dollar a white male makes. Strengthening pay transparency laws is key. When everyone has access to clear salary ranges and compensation benefits, it levels the playing field to negotiate for fair pay. But equal pay alone isn’t enough. Affordable childcare and paid family leave are game-changers, giving women—who are often the primary caregivers—the flexibility they need to stay and prosper in the workforce. Let’s keep pushing. We can’t slow down until fair pay is a reality for all women.”
TAKE ACTION
Tell your legislators to support new legislation that strengthens and expands our salary transparency laws in New York City and New York State.