At a time when Oprah and Martha have as much name recognition as Donald and Bill (Trump and Gates, that is), we want to believe women have reached parity with men. But in 2003 women’s average income compared to men’s dropped a penny to 76 cents on the dollar. And earnings for those with Bachelor’s degrees shows an even greater disparity with those women making 68.5 cents on the dollar. Disappointing, yes. Inescapable, no. Here are five things you can do to help close the wage gap.
1. Be a Squeaky Wheel
No one thinks to solve a problem they don’t know exists. Educate yourself about the state of women today and spread the word. I’ll bet someone in your circle doesn’t know that of the 500 CEOs in the Fortune 500 only seven of them are women. Or that in 1999 23% of male executives made over $80K, versus 5% of female executives.
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2. Vote With Your Dollar
Interestingly, while women make 24% less then men, they control 75% of household finances and 85% of purchasing decisions. Women have huge spending power. Using it to support businesses that are woman-owned or those that promote women into management and executive positions even a couple times a week will make a difference. How do you know which companies are woman-owned or managed? Just ask.
3. Put More Women in Office:
In 2005 women make up 15% of Congress for the first time ever. Since women make up more than half the population, a government of the people shouldn’t be short on women. If you think this won’t make a difference, think about 1992 – the Year of the Woman – when more women ran for office and won than ever before. As these women took office in 1993, 30 pieces of legislation on women’s issues got passed. In 1994 33 pieces passed. The record for any year before then was five.
4. Support the Supporters:
There are so many organizations out there working to further women’s equality. Offering them your time or money is a great way to help women. Here’s just a few:
Emily’s List
Feminist Majority Foundation
Global Fund for Women
Ms. Foundation
National Organization for Women (NOW)
YWCA
5. Raise Critical Thinkers
No matter how corny it sounds, children really are our future. Invest in them the ability to think for themselves. Encourage them to ask, “Why?” Teach them to question the status quo. Tell them the greatest power of all is theirs if they just exercise it – the power of possibility.
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