California Lutheran University faculty and students marked "Equal Pay Day" today by discussing income equity issues at an event sponsored by the school's Center for Equality and Justice and the Thousand Oaks branch of the American Association of University Women.

A panel discussion, held during lunchtime at the CLU Student Union, attracted about two dozen students, who heard presentations by economics professor Jamshid Damooei of the CLU School of Business; Juanita Hall, director of multicultural and international programs at the Thousand Oaks university; and Clara Carmona, an accountant at Sage Publications.

Equal Pay Day — April 22 — marks when women's wages catch up to men's wages from the previous year.

"It takes women approximately four months longer to make the same pay as their male counterparts," said Gregory Freeland of the Center for Equality and Justice, who moderated the discussion.

In 2007, the AAUW published a study called "Behind the Pay Gap," which documents the disparity between what male and female college graduates earn in the working world.

According to the AAUW, college-educated women who work full-time in California make about 76 percent of what their male counterparts earn. Although the numbers of men and women living and working in California who have completed a four-year degree course is roughly equal, the study found that between 2004 and 2006, women graduates had annual median earnings of $55,000, compared with $72,000 for men.

"One of the problems with women is that we don't negotiate salaries the way men do," said Hall. "We just take what's offered.

"When a woman asks for more money, it's seen as aggressive, whereas a man is seen as assertive and confident."

Damooei told the audience that stereotypes of men and women are still deeply rooted in the American culture and laws need to be changed to help society and the labor market overcome these prejudices. Students were surprised to learn from him that in some Scandinavian countries, men are required to take paternity leave to care for a newborn child.

Carmona shared her experiences as someone who has exited the workplace twice during her career to raise children. She said it's still twice as hard for a woman in the workplace than a man.

"You might work for a company that says it's in favor of equality, but still all the promotions go to men," she said. "It does mean we have to take a stand. If everyone can do a job, they should be paid equal pay."

It’s all about creating true equality in society, said Hall.

"True equality means people have a choice without there being any economical or cultural repercussions," she said.

Melissa Schlueter, 22, of Huntington Beach is preparing to enter the workforce after she graduates in political science this summer from CLU.

"I just wanted to be aware of what's going on and how the job market is evolving," she said of today's event. "I just can't wait until we're equal and I hope it's someday soon."