If you were brought up to believe hard work ought to be rewarded, then join us and let's end the wage wars on rural women now.

Today marks Equal Pay Day – the day that symbolizes how far into the year the average woman must work to earn what the average man did in the previous year. Women in the U.S. still earn only about $0.84 for every dollar that a man earns.

I'm a working mom and one of the 22% of American women who live in rural areas. Women here are raising families in the middle of enormous economic challenges and they deserve to be confident that they're getting a fair paycheck every single pay day.

At One Country Project, we're demanding nothing less than equal pay for equal work.

I'm proud to be part of an organization that fights for women and the dignity of a livelihood that can provide for our families. We fiercely advocate for issues that tangibly improve the lives of rural women – things like greater access to health care services, broadband expansion, and workforce development programs.

We're on the ground to make sure that women in rural America are heard, understood, and represented in Washington, D.C., but today is a reminder that we've still got a long road ahead to correct the wrongs of the past.

Looking forward to a fairer future,

Heidi