Two Ways Women Can Combat the Gender Wage Gap Today

Women have a history of jumping through hurdles on their journey up the corporate ladder. Fighting for equal pay is one of them. 

While the pay gap is shrinking, we still have a long way to go. A study done by Glassdoor analyzed over 4000,000 positions in 2019 and found that the current unadjusted pay gap between men and women is 21.4%. 

To help women overcome this disturbing reality, we’ve included some top ways to overcome this obstacle below. 

How to Combat the Gender Wage Gap Today

While it is true that the wage gap is shrinking, there are still many industries where this is not the case. Below are two major ways women can overcome this obstacle. 

Mentorship: Women that have been trailblazers in male-dominated professions are often available as mentors, even looking to help other female candidates to help raise up. The more women that can be mentors, the more it is possible to break into a particular profession. Searching for a mentor through associations and networking opportunities is a great plan. Network with like minded individuals and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. 

Negotiation tactics: Women are less likely to use aggressive negotiation tactics in an interview and therefore tend to settle for lower salaries. Investing in learning negotiation strategies has been shown to level the playing field significantly. Some other potential strategies simply require a change in thought process. For example, it’s been demonstrated that women negotiate more effectively on behalf of others rather than advocating for themselves. By thinking of negotiations as affecting, for example, other women in the field, colleagues, or family members, a woman can learn to negotiate for themselves more effectively. 

By connecting with mentors and learning the right strategies for negotiation, women in the workplace can work to try to avoid some of the common pitfalls associated with the gender wage gap. 

This article has been contributed by Sierra Skelly from Siege Media.