( CNN ) Tuesday is Equal Pay Day , the fictitious holiday marked by progressive women 's groups as the point in the year women would have to work to make up for `` lost '' wages as a result of the so-called wage gap . In the wake of Hillary Clinton 's presidential announcement , the `` holiday '' has special meaning . Clinton 's election will no doubt center on women voters , and the Democratic women 's agenda centers on pay equity and fairness in the workplace . Here 's the thing : That 77-cent wage gap statistic is grossly overstated . It 's a comparison of averages -- comparing full-time working women with full-time working men -- that does n't control for any of the important factors that go into determining one 's salary such as education , profession , title , time spent in the workforce and time spent in the office each day , to name a few . When we do control for these variables , a much smaller wage gap persists of about 4-6 cents , some of which may be the result of gender discrimination , but also is likely a function of women 's choices and different behavior , such as not negotiating as often as men do -- factors for which economists simply ca n't control . The new women warriors : Reviving the fight for equal rights . I frequently reference my own experience as a working mom with young children as an example of someone who not only made the `` mistake '' of majoring in history but then pursued a career in the nonprofit political world -- not exactly a winning combination if a high salary is the ultimate goal . Add to this the fact that I took time out of the workplace and worked part time to have a family , and my earning potential simply is n't as high as some of my male counterparts . Opinion : Why Hillary Clinton should take a pay cut . Still , conservatives -- and by extension Republicans -- ought to be paying attention to Equal Pay Day . Because for many on the right the midterm election victories signaled that the `` war on women '' narrative was over . That Democrats had overplayed their hand and that candidates such as Colorado 's Mark Udall simply could n't succeed . In some respects , Republicans are right . Voters did choose policy substance over gendered rhetoric , and in many ways they rejected the insidious `` war on women '' narrative . The facts about the gender wage gap . But women voters are valuable , and Equal Pay Day ought to be a reminder that Democrats are n't ready to surrender . Let 's remember a 5-point national gender gap still remains in the Democrats ' favor . Bottom line : The `` war on women '' narrative has n't been turned off -- it 's simply shifted gears . And with the presidential election season just revving up , we can expect to see the `` war on women '' focus turn to the workplace , where Democrats will claim women are paid unfairly , not given the paid leave benefits they deserve and not given the child care support they demand . Many on the right fear if they try to push back on the issue of pay equity they will be skewered in the polls . But nothing could be further from the truth . Map : Where the gender pay gap is the widest . The Independent Women 's Forum conducted a randomized , controlled experiment on the issue of the wage gap , and we found that not surprisingly the progressive message in favor of the Paycheck Fairness Act -- a legislative `` solution '' to close the pay gap -- increased support for the bill but surprisingly was not effective at increasing support for Democrats . In short , if the right is silent on the issue , the left has the potential to win the battle but not the war . It 's tempting on days such as Equal Pay Day for Republicans to want to lie low -- to ignore the rhetoric and hope it will all go away by Wednesday . But the reality is that 's the worst thing conservatives can do . The public is open to hearing the real story on pay equity , and conservatives need to be ready and willing to respond .
Sabrina Schaeffer : Tuesday is Equal Pay Day , a fictitious holiday marked by progressive women . She says the wage gap between men and women is grossly overstated .