Equali-Tea returns in April 2026

The 2026 Equali-Tea has moved into April, announced organizers with the Middle Tennessee Fund for Women and Girls. 

The hats-optional high tea raises scholarship funds for MTSU college women students and raises awareness for Equal Pay Day, which symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. 

This year, the Equali-Tea will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9. According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, the next Equal Pay Day is March 26.

Equal Pay Day was originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. For the past 25 years, it has been held in April, but recent wage data from the U.S. Census shows the gains women made before the pandemic have been eroded.

According to 2023 data from the U.S. Census, the wage gap for women compared to men is 81 cents on the dollar for full-time, year-round workers. When you look at all earners, including full-time, year-round earners, part-time, and part-year workers, the wage gap widens to 76 cents, compared to 81.6 cents in 2018. The wage gap is even wider for women of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The 2026 Equali-Tea will take place at The Fountains, 1500 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite 4D, in Murfreesboro.

The Equali-Tea raises scholarship and programming funds for the Middle Tennessee Fund for Women and Girls, a nonprofit organization in support of the mission of AAUW Murfreesboro.

The funds raised go toward two scholarships that are offered to MTSU students.

The Ruth Houston Memorial Scholarship supports women 24 years and older who are returning to finish their undergraduate degree. Applicants must demonstrate academic promise and financial need.

In 2015, the group marked its 100th anniversary by creating a second scholarship, named for long-time AAUW members Mattie Butler and Leola Fouts.

The Butler-Fouts Memorial Graduate Scholarship is presented to female graduate students from underrepresented ethnic or racial groups. Applicants must demonstrate academic promise and financial need as well as be enrolled in a graduate program at MTSU.

Each scholarship will provide $1,000 for the 2026-2 academic year.

For more information about the 2026 Equali-TEA or to sponsor the event, email us at contact@equali-tea.org.

About AAUW Murfreesboro

Organized in 1913, AAUW Murfreesboro (murfreesboro-tn.aauw.net) is a membership organization of college-educated individuals from all walks of life who share a common purpose—to level the playing field for women and girls in education and in the workplace.

Our branch does this through advocacy, education, and research. We are part of a national and state network that supports our work right here in Murfreesboro. Our national organization (200,000 members strong) is a powerful voice on women's issues in Washington, D.C. Our Tennessee organization unifies our presence throughout the state, bringing together its branches in Memphis, Nashville, Murfreesboro, McMinnville, Martin, Knoxville, Maryville, and Oak Ridge.