This week marked Equal Pay Day, the symbolic day that shines a spotlight on the discrepancy in pay between the average median salary earned by a woman versus the average median salary earn by a man. The date of Equal Pay Day represents how much more women have to work to make the same men made in the previous year. That means, the average woman has to work 14 months and 15 days to make the same amount of money of the average man makes 12 months.
A few facts to ground ourselves in the data around the Gender Pay Gap:
- In 2021, Women in the US earned only 83% percent of men’s earnings, equivalent to $200 less per week in wages, on average.
- This wage gap persists throughout a woman’s career and results in an average earning loss of $400k due to pay inequity alone. Other factors that play into wage discrepancies include career interruptions due to caretaking, the impact of sexual harassment, and slowing progress due to the pandemic impact.
- While Equal Pay Day is based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gender pay gap is a global issue.
- The gender pay gap is much higher for women with other intersections like race and motherhood.
- It is estimated that 2 million mothers left the workforce globally in 2020 and haven’t returned.
The facts around and circumstances that result in the gender pay gap can feel overwhelming as an individual working woman. They are also the reasons behind Together Digital. We recognize that alone, a woman can feel isolated and defeated in the workforce. Together we’re a force. Members support each other by candidly sharing experiences, resources and advice; empowering one another to focus on what we can do, individually and collectively, to improve the careers of women working in digital. We also:
- We support pay transparency laws and recommend our members negotiate pay based on the role and experience levels required and not based on prior salary.
- We share with each other our salaries or consulting rates, and the strategies we used to increase them.
- We support each other in dedicated monthly Ask & Give Circles and our private Slack network to prepare for challenging conversations or difficult situations.
- We participate in events designed to increase our skills and build our community.
While we may not be able to solve all of the larger macro-economic issues that lead to the gender pay gap, we think globally by acting locally. Together Digital members are able to increase their connections, information, and skills to improve their working lives and their salaries. One-by-one, we work together to help close the gap.
Want to know more about our community benefits? Check out our Join page to see details and apply for membership.