One of the demonstrators and event organizers at the Lundy Avenue location was Willow Glen resident Holly Stump, who says her motivation behind participating is to raise people's consciousness about the wage gap.

"We probably can't legislate equal pay easily, but if people are aware of discrimination maybe they won't make decisions like paying women less money than men who hold the same job," Stump says.

The National Committee on Pay Equity initiated Equal Pay Day in 1996 to raise public awareness about the continuing wage gap between men and women. The committee, founded in 1979, has a national membership coalition of more than 80 organizations, including labor unions and women's and civil rights organizations, which work to eliminate sex- and race-based wage discrimination and to achieve pay equity. The coalition has held fair pay activities in the Bay Area since 1999.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women age 25 and up who worked full time year-round in 2001 made 76 percent of what their male counterparts earned.

The gap has decreased since the passage of the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963, when women were paid 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. But there is "still room for improvement," Stump says.

Stump says the pay disparity becomes greater as women age. According to the May 2002 U.S. Census Bureau report titled "Highlights of Women's Earnings in 2001," a difference of $35 per week for women ages 20 to 24 translates into a difference of $211 per week between the ages of 45 and 54.

Statistics show that education doesn't close the gap, Stump says. Women with master's degrees make less than men with bachelor's degrees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

At the protest, members of the Coalition for Equal Pay wore red clothing to symbolize a woman's difficulty paying bills with unequal wages. Some women held signs that read, "Women are in the Red," "Women Want Equal Pay" and "Give Me Equal Pay."

Students from Branham High School in the Campbell Union High School District spread out in front of Willow Glen's Meridian Avenue post office holding signs that read, "The IRS Wants Our Pay But Women Make Much Less Today."

A week before the demonstration Branham High School teacher Sandra Betham gave a lesson about equal pay that was prepared by the Coalition for Equal Pay. The coalition gave the students cookies that were missing 24 percent, representing the wage gap.

"As a teacher I get equal pay, but I'm here to fight for the women who don't get equal pay in the corporate world," Betham says. "We're the Susan B. Anthonys of our time. It has been really fun to get students involved."

Branham High School senior Liz Vanvliet, 18, says she wanted to support equal pay for women and understands the pay situation firsthand.

"I work as a hostess, and the men get paid more than me as a host at my job," Vanvliet says.

Stump drove home the point by wearing a green veil with enlarged copies of paper money and carried a sign that read, "Wages, Not Weddings." She also distributed information about the Bush administration's plan to spend $1.5 billion during the next five years to, she says, "try to convince women on welfare to marry by using billboards and religious organizations to promote marriage."

"They should really invest in job training instead," Stump says. "Marriage is not the solution to the poverty problem. If the women get the wages, the weddings will take care of themselves."

The Coalition for Equal Pay also supports Sen. Sheila Kuehl's proposal to use part of the federal marriage promotion funding to help support existing domestic violence services and programs.

"There is already so much domestic violence, and if two people are poor and don't have jobs but get married it won't help," Stump says. "It could increase domestic violence."

Stump is also involved with other grass-roots organizations like Bay Area 9to5, National Association of Working Women, which aims to strengthen women's ability to fight job discrimination and harassment as well as work for economic justice, equal pay, immigrant rights and better conditions for temp workers.

Founded in 1973, 9to5 has activists in more than 200 cities and members in every state. The Bay Area chapter was organized in 1999. Another of the organization's members, Cathy Deppe, also handed out brochures at the Meridian Avenue post office.

"Women can call our hotline and report problems on the job like discrimination and harassment," Deppe says.

This is the first time the San Jose chapter of the Coalition for Equal Pay has held a large demonstration, but they have held events in the past. Last year they had an "unhappy hour" at a bar in downtown San Jose that agreed to charge women 75 cents for $1 drinks to represent the gap between men's and women's pay, Stump says.

Equal Pay Day is held on a Tuesday each year, which is symbolic of the fact that the average woman has to work into Tuesday of the following week to match a man's income from the week before.

Many local politicians have recognized Equal Pay Day, including San Jose District 6 City Council member Ken Yeager.

"Our great nation has best demonstrated its justice and sense of equality for all during the social movements for women's suffrage, civil rights and gay rights," Yeager says. "Now we must continue our obligation by ensuring that equal work receives equal pay. The time has passed when women can be treated differently for doing the same job as a man."

Stump is also active in an organization that is another supporter of Equal Pay Day—the National Organization for Women. With this organization and the Santa Clara County Office of Women's Advocacy, Stump works to mentor young women in elementary through high school about equal pay.

She says gender socialization is to blame for girls going into lower-paying occupations. According to the National Association for Partnerships in Equity, 34 percent of high school age girls in the United States report being advised by a faculty member not to take math in their senior year.

"Lots of girls are good at math, like I was, but get directed into 'softer' careers and fields" that don't use math skills, says Stump, who has an electrical engineering degree and works in the high-tech field. "I'm delighted with my career, and it would've never happened if I'd followed the path I was directed toward. I want more girls to decide that engineering can be a great career for them."

Through the Office of Women's Advocacy, Stump also mentors girls about different career paths available to them.

Stump says Equal Pay Day is important because it will prompt people to become more observant about gender differences in the workplace. She says people should notice things like if women are speaking up as much as men in meetings.

And although equal pay is important worldwide, Stump says, California should set an example.

"I feel California has always been one of the most socially progressive states, and it's important to show people that the gap with a high school diploma is $5 and $10 with a college diploma," she says.

But unequal pay isn't the case for everyone. After paying their income taxes, Delia Oseguera and Steve Navarro, both administrative assistants, say Oseguera gets more pay than Navarro.

"Both our mothers also get paid more than our fathers," Navarro says. "But in most cases I think it's generally true that women get paid less than men."