ANN ARBOR, MI - Abbot Elementary School second graders Thea Miller and Madison Henderson-White weren't happy when they learned that women earn less than men - the so-called gender wage gap.

So the Ann Arbor Public Schools students decided to do something about it in honor of Women's History Month in March.

On Sunday, March 18, the pair organized a protest of involving a handful of other young students calling for gender equality and support for women's rights. They marched in their Ann Arbor neighborhood.

"It's important to me, because if your mom gets paid less than your father, then your mother might not be able to raise enough money for herself," Thea said.



The event started with speeches delivered by Thea and Madison. Attendees could buy pastries and candy, with profits going to emergency shelter Alpha House and the Childhood Gynecologic Cancer Association.

The group of about 10 children then set off with their parents around the block holding protest signs calling for equal pay for women everywhere.

Even after adjusting for differences in education and work experience, a wage gap is evident within almost all industries, says a 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics paper. Among the industries with the biggest gaps: The legal profession, sales, police and fire work, manufacturing, and personal care and service jobs.

The study showed some factors influencing pay include that men work more hours on average and women are more likely to temporarily leave the workforce.