Pay me what you owe me...

Women, particularly Black, Indigenous and Women of Color (BIWOC), are consistently underpaid and underrepresented in leadership roles in the workforce. This is known as the gender and race wage gap.

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

On average for every dollar that working White (Non-hispanic) men make, women make as follows…

🚺 Women in general 💵 82 cents

🚺 Black women 💵 63 cents

🚺 Indigenous/Native American women 💵 60 cents

🚺 Latina women 💵 55 cents**

**(The lowest across any demographic.)

The effects of the pandemic (I.e. increased layoffs, lack of child care forcing many women to leave the workforce, etc.) have only made things worse. The Gender Wage Gap is now estimated to close in 135 years plus (for Latinas that figure is even more alarming: 185 years).

That is simply unacceptable and too long of a wait. We do not have that time.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY

There are many wonderful organizations doing real work to increase pay transparency, promote equal pay, and pass necessary legislation to help close the wage gap.

Check them out below:

• https://www.equalrights.org

• https://marshallplanformoms.com

• https://www.weareluminary.com

• Supporting research:

  • American Association of University Women (AAUW)

  • World Economic Forum

  • US Department of Labor

OTHER ACTIONS:

One way in which you can move the needle as an individual in this bigger issue is by confidently and proactively advocating for yourself. From the moment you receive that offer, to the time that you are up for a promotion, to any and every time in between, you should be asserting our value.

However, that is often easier said than done. Research finds that women are significantly less inclined to negotiate compensation than men and are more likely to be penalized when they do. Yet, failing to negotiate not only leaves potential money on the table, but it can also stunt your professional growth and may lead to feeling undervalued and disengaged while at work.

Fortunately, there is a correct way to advocate for yourself and negotiate for better results.

Start with this "self-Advocacy" workshop:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dZ0P43zrJI8?si=khwrQHFpe3zV7hjx&amp;start=315" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Look out for our Negotiation 101 course coming up.