If you want to try Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s workout (hardcore enough to bring a Politico reporter to his knees) and advocate for equal pay in one fell swoop — and who doesn’t, really — clear your calendar for Tuesday.
Equal Pay Day is April 4 this year, chosen because that’s how many days into the year women have to work to earn what men earned the previous year, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. To mark the occasion/work out their rightful rage, hearty souls are invited to gather at The Lakewood in the West Loop to hear seriously strong women speak before joining them in a Supreme Court justice-level fitness routine.
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“The fact that Equal Pay Day even exists is sort of sad,” said Jeana Anderson Cohen, founder of A Sweat Life fitness site and the brains behind Tuesday’s event. “At the same time, it’s wonderful to celebrate how far women have come in spite of all the obstacles put in front of them.”
ESPN reporter Sarah Spain (whose video about online harassment went viral) will kick off the festivities, followed by Sarah Ames, a Chicago-based attorney who ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven days (!!) to raise awareness for Hamlin Fistula, an organization that treats women in Ethiopia who suffer from a condition caused by prolonged labor.
“So much of reaching your goal is mental,” Ames told me. “If you run into a roadblock or a difficult situation, you just step back and take the emotion out of it and say, ‘OK. What really are my options here?'”
She was talking about completing seven marathons in a week (again: !!), but she said the approach works equally well in the workplace, where the wage gap persists across multiple industries. Women working full time in the United States are typically paid 80 percent of what men are paid, according to an American Association of University Women report.
After Ames and Spain speak, the group workout will begin.
“We believe very much in the shine theory,” Cohen said. “When you lift up other people who are doing great things, we all shine brighter. I want people to walk away after the event feeling empowered.”
The event costs $40, and participants get a Ruth Bader Ginsburg tank top designed by Chicago artist Laura Szumowski. A portion of the proceeds will go to Step Up, a nonprofit that helps girls from under-resourced communities reach college and career success.
Men are, of course, welcome to join the festivities.
“Men can take part in women’s empowerment,” Cohen said. “In fact, we encourage it.”
Particularly men who aren’t afraid to rock a Ruth Bader Ginsburg tank top.
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Sweat To Inspire is scheduled 6:30-8:30 p.m. at The Lakewood, 1750 W. Lake St. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. More information here.
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