Eliminating the gender pay gap

“There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” Madeleine K. Albright

The aim of this article is not to blame. Much rather, it aims to remind every woman (and myself) of our strength, wisdom, the impact we bring to the workplace, and the need to stand for our rights.

After reading a review on the Gender pay gap conducted by Lean In Community, I discovered so many peculiar facts that I decided to share some of them with you. The full report is available here: https://cutt.ly/uj4SV7U

According to the study, on average, women in the U.S. make 18% less than men[1]. The gender pay gap in the EU stands at 14.1% and has only changed minimally over the last decade. It means that on average, women earn 14.1% less per hour than men[2].

Interesting fact: women have been graduating from colleges or universities at higher rates than men for decades[3]. But diplomas don’t translate to dollars: The pay gap actually increases for women at higher education levels.

The pay gap is not about a single paycheck. Throughout a career, the lost income can add up to over a million dollars or euros.

Among core reasons for the pay gap are sectoral segregation (overrepresentation of women in low–paying sectors), work–life balance (women spend fewer hours in paid work than men on average but more hours in unpaid work), glass ceiling, and discrimination[4].

I don’t want to state the fact and make you feel overwhelmed, agitated or angry (the exact feeling of mine right after I read the full reports). Neither am I to say that I became a guru on women leadership, salary negotiation, or female empowerment. However, I have been reading quite a lot on this subject matter and would be happy to share several books and resources, which I consider empowering and entirely hands-on. Furthermore, I always take an active position and try to change things that are in my zone of responsibility.

So here are the books that really made an impact:

1. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg — the book that encourages women to be braver, bolder, and stand for themselves. Finally, the book provided me with a phrase, which I repeat to myself in the moments of uncertainty “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

2. Becoming, Michelle Obama — taking politics aside, I liked this book for the simple reminder that you are enough, you matter, and your voice must be heard.

3. Ask for It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want, by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. A fantastic read that reminds us all how much more we can get by simply asking for it. The book also provides practical tools and techniques every woman can use when negotiating promotions, salary increases, and various perks at the workplace and real life.

4. Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Franke — The book that should be given to all women upon graduation from school university. While reading it, many pages felt like slaps on the face as I recognized myself in those cases. Many “mistakes” were things I did in my career early because of my upbringing. After reading a book, I became more aware of my flaws and now act more self — conscious of the messages I translate.

Many things have to change to reduce the pay gap (creating a more inclusive environment at the workplace, investments into family–friendly working arrangements, change of the status quo, etc). However, there are also things that we can do, as women too — knowing our rights and standing for ourselves more often. Feel free to share the books which inspired and empowered you!

Sources:

[1] Ariane Hegewisch and Adiam Tesfaselassie, “The Gender Wage Gap: 2018; Earnings Differences by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity,” IWPR #C484 (September 2019), https://iwpr.org/publications/annual-gender-wage-gap-2018/.

[2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality/equal-pay/gender-pay-gap-situation-eu_en

[3] Short version: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, “Degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by level of degree and sex of student: Selected years, 1869–70 through 2027–28”, (April 2018), accessed March 30, 2020. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_318.10.asp.

[4] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20200109STO69925/understanding-the-gender-pay-gap-definition-and-causes