The gender pay gap and you

The gender pay gap is the gap between what men and women are paid. Here you have some quick facts from the American Association of University Women (AAUW),

• The gender gap exists across all demographics, in every part of the country and in nearly every line of work – including female dominated professions like teaching and nursing
• The gender pay gap exists foe very age group:
  • Women ages 20 to 24 are paid 90 % as much as men
  • But the gap grows over time, with women ages 55 and 65 paid just 78% as much as men
• Even when women pursue higher-paying occupations, they are paid less across the board even with advanced degrees.

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The pay gap is real in the US and all over the world. There are just two ways of seeing ourselves in this context,

• As victims of the patriarchal repressive system, helpless and lost
• As the pioneers, daring to change this situation for ourselves and for future women

My sad conclusion is that more women ​set themselves in the first category than in the second one. Consider these personal experiences I had as a corporate executive, teacher and entrepreneur,

• When I was a hiring manager, I had to hire 3 persons for one department. The job was the very same. The candidates had the same age and qualifications. I offer them the very same salary. They were 2 men and one woman. The two men asked immediately for a better offer. She remained silent.
• At universities, I always lecture around the time students are looking for an internship or even a job. I consistently have an interesting contact for female students. I ask them to contact me to connect them. The ladies never contact me. However, male classmates do contact me and some of them keep in touch - even if all my marketing communication is for women. Wow! They find something here!
• When I have gone to events to educate myself as an entrepreneur in subjects related to money and negotiation, I mainly find men.
• After I left my last corporate job, I learned that I was the most feared negotiator my company had. Men couldn’t fits fight me or use bad language. With arguments I always got what I wanted: increase in salary, bonuses, better sales prices, cheaper deals for the company and more. No men stopped me.

So, what I see is that women keep the gender pay gap alive and even widen it. We don’t dare to show up, to lean in, to even learn about money and negotiation. What’s the reason? Impostor syndrome? Fear of rejection? Fear of success?

Sure, there are reasons to be afraid. We don’t want to have the life that our male counterparts had: chained to the desk. We want it all: family, money, independence, social impact…

My opinion is that the only way to get it all is heart centered entrepreneurship. This can give you the flexibility to be with your kids, breastfeed and answer the questions of your teenager. This can allow you to be change you want to see in the world. You can create a company that creates positive change for the environment or people or industry. AND indeed you can create financial independence. 

All that could be possible is your dare to educate yourself on the subject of money.

My guess as about why women don’t dare to lean in on the subject of money is lack of self-worth. We don’t feel worthy. The association with money is power. Power is associated with men. Women with power is an aberration. That why the first women with power were labeled “she wolfs”, “witches”, and even vampires.

We are living a renaissance of the power of women: a re-connection to our own worthiness. It won’t come automatically. We need to created it. We need to take steps to do so. No one is going to give it to us. Governments or companies or quotas are not going to make us worthy. We are.

You and I need to take action in this transformation towards embodying our true power, wealth and I dare repeat worthiness.