Captivate: How to Advocate for Women and Bridge the Gender Gap

Much has changed since the 1960s Sixty years of progress have introduced the powerhouse vocals of Adele a smart home that automagically brightens our rooms and an entire generation that doesn39t understand what it means to wait a week for more programming Amid all this advancement there remains one holdout the gender pay gapWhile the Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963 earnings inequality remains a reality for women in business According to Captivate39s latest Office Pulse research over 40 of working women feel that they aren39t being fairly compensated for the work they do Indeed the Pew Research Center found that women earn just 84 of what men make meaning it would take an extra 42 days of work for women to make the same amount as menDespite this Office Pulse found that 40 of women said they have never asked for either a raise or a promotion While the projected year for reaching equal pay has remained at 2059 for the past four years there39s no need to wait another 37 years Let39s turn that tideAs Lucy Markowitz Senior Vice President at Vistar Media says quotNo one is going to look out for you more than youquot One way of doing that is by visiting The Salary Project It encourages women to advocate for themselves with the help of a searchable sortable chart of salaries of women across industries locations and age It offers inspiration stories and data to empower women to demand pay parityAnother way of leveling the playing field relates to communication and how well ideas are received Office Pulse found that 30 of women feel their ideas aren39t valued in the workplace Make a point to check in with yourself Are there ways you can better communicate your authentic self or should you move on from your current environmentquotUse your voice respectfully challenge processes and people to drive changequot advises Lauren Surzyn COO Kirkoswald Asset ManagementThe benefits of gender equality in the workplace aren39t just personal While pay parity and advancement would obviously benefit working women companies stand to gain from it as well Forbes reported that women outperform men on 17 out of 19 key leadership traits resulting in gains for the bottom line Harvard Business Review research found that firms with more women in senior positions are more profitableThere are two key ways for companies to support and advocate for women in the workforce break down barriers and be an ally for equalityThe global management consulting firm A T Kearney is among those that have broken down some barriers not only solving its own workforce problem but helping employees as well Realizing it was losing women to maternity leave the company established Pathway for Parents giving new parents one year to ramp upBecoming an ally for equality can take different forms Companies should consider aligning with legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act which would prohibit retaliation against employees who discuss their wages and make it easier to demonstrate that discrimination has occurred Another option is to support organizations that are dedicated to tackling the pay gap including the Venus Williamssupported Girls IncCaptivate is pushing change by launching a custom content series of videos on its outofhome displays that shines a light on the contributions of women and areas of inequality and gives women a platform to share advice on navigating the path to professional success Like the quotes featured throughout this article You can catch them across our network for the month of MarchThe Captivate series also reflects on female pioneers highlighting womenowned businesses And it empowers viewers to nominate mentors leaders and changemakers who have inspired them throughout their careersBy 2028 Nielsen projects that women will command 75 of the discretionary spend Yet this increasingly more powerful demographic women in business is losing a combined total of nearly 930 billion every year due to the wage gapAs former Secretary of Labor Lewis Schwellenbach famously argued back in 1947 when speaking of women quotThere is no sex difference in the food she buys or the rent she pays there should be none in her pay envelopequotThis article was written by Alice Gogh Senior Vice President Strategy Innovation and Product Captivate LLCClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Captivate: How to Advocate for Women and Bridge the Gender Gap

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