Today - April 8 - the country recognizes Equal Pay Day. The date is a reminder that a woman makes 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields fare far better in terms of equal pay than women in other lines of work. Women in STEM make 33 percent more on average in these higher-paying jobs and see a narrower gender wage gap.

The YWCA and the Department of Energy are teaming up to host a panel and Tweet Up on The STEM Promise: Opportunities for Economic Empowerment. Join the conversation today from 3-4pm EST, by using #STEMEqualPay on Twitter and learn how STEM jobs can cut down on the pay gap between men and women.

The STEM Promise: Opportunities for Economic Empowerment, will be moderated by WUSA9 Weekday Morning Anchor Mike Hydeck. He'll be speaking with Alice Madden, Director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at the Department of Energy; Florentia Spires, an Albert Einstein Fellow placed at the National Science Foundation; and Desiree Hoffman, Director of Advocacy and Policy, YWCA USA for a conversation on the wages of STEM jobs and resources to find jobs in STEM. Tamara Smith, CEO of YWCA National Capital Area, will kick off the conversation, and Julie Silard Kantor, Chief Partnership Officer with Million Women Mentors, will provide closing remarks on finding a STEM mentor.

We will discuss how STEM careers can mean more economic security for women and the families that depend on them. Panelists in STEM careers will share how they entered their career and offer advice and resources on finding entry-level STEM jobs and mentors in STEM. Additionally, the panel will explore the importance of ending occupational segregation in nontraditional fields, like STEM, as a critical step toward equal pay.

Remember to tune in today,  Tuesday, April 8, from 3-4pm EST, with #STEMEqualPay on Twitter to learn more about the potential for STEM careers to ease the wage gap and offer a promising economic future for women and girls.