3 Facts + 3 Actions Business Owners Can Take to Recognize the Gender Pay Gap
Equal Pay Day took place yesterday — March 24, 2021 — and calls attention to the existing gender pay gap. This symbolic day, recognized annually since 1996, represents how far into the new year women must work to earn, on average, what men earned the year prior. This day comes much later for women of color.
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March 9 — Asian American and Pacific Islander women
- August 3 — African American women
- September 8 — Native American women
- October 2 — Hispanic/Latina women
3 Facts About the Gender Pay Gap
- Women still earn 82 cents for every dollar a white man makes. The pay gap for women of color is even worse, according to the National Women’s Law Center:
- Women earn less than men in nearly all occupation. Check out this interactive tool by the Department of Labor.
- Women are overrepresented in low paying jobs. Check out the graphic below for the 10 largest low-wage occupations for women, by percent, from the National Women’s Law Center.
3 Ways to Fight the Gender Pay Gap
Equal Pay Day is an opportunity for your business to acknowledge and take action against the gender pay gap. Here are three things you can do to help:
- Conduct a pay equity audit and ensure there are no pay gaps. Consider publishing these results to stakeholders and the public via company websites or social media channels, and outline any commitments being made to closing any existing pay gaps.
- Ensure hiring and promotions are fair and accessible to all.
- Provide equal opportunities for advancement to women.
Find DEI resources with the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Toolkit.
Greater Des Moines (DSM) welcomes diverse talent to the region. As one of the fastest growing business communities, inclusion and attracting diverse talent in the workplace is a key strategy of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Learn more here.