Hey, it's International Women's Day today (but
also every day, ya know?!). IWD dates back more than 100 years, to
1909, when female activists in New York were demanding
voting rights and better pay. Now it's a day to work for equality
around the globe while celebrating the accomplishments of women. To help
you get in on the action this year, we asked the ladies we most admire
for their best tips and advice on how to actually make a
difference in other women's lives today and every day. Because, in the
words of of Rep. Lauren Underwood, the youngest Black woman ever elected
to Congress, "Girlfriends, we need you!" Read on and be inspired.
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Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator (D-CA) and 2020 presidential candidate, @kamalaharris
"What's
happening at the border is a human rights abuse. I've met with mothers
being held at detention centers who risked everything to get to the
United States with the hope that their children could have a better
future and whose children were taken from them. What I heard from them
is that they think no one has their backs. We need to remind these
hundreds of women still being held at the border that they are not
alone. On International Women's Day, let's make our voices heard—donate
to an organization working with these families, call or write your
representatives in Washington and tell them that ripping babies away
from their parents is not who we are as Americans. Women have proven
time and again that when we stand together in solidarity we are a
powerful force for change."
.
Renata Pavam
Isabella Boylston, principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre, @isabellaboylston
“Start
a talking circle with your friends or colleagues. You can learn so much
from listening to other women, especially those from different
backgrounds. A talking circle is a great way to empower women to speak
up and plant the seeds for change.”
“Be
a conscious consumer and put your money behind brands that support
female artisans, fair labor practices, and training and development
opportunities for women, allowing them to be competitive in
male-dominated marketplaces. My company, FEED, just launched a
collection of stunning artisan-made bags for IWD that provide school meals and employment for female artisans.”
Glenn Nutley
Janel Parrish, actress and star of Pretty Little Liars and The Perfectionists,@janelparrish
“Collaborate
instead of competing. When women support one another, it’s the most
powerful thing. Put your heads together when you’re with your girls and
create together!”
From left to right: Sophia Amoruso; Lena Waithe; Anna O’Brien
COURTESY OF SOPHIA AMOROSO; GETTY IMAGES; ANNA O'BRIEN
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Sophia Amoruso, founder and CEO of Girlboss, @sophiaamoruso
"I've just recently heard about I Fund Women,
a Kickstarter of sorts to enable anyone to support women entrepreneurs.
Everything from podcasters to fully-blown small businesses are
featured, making it easy to put your money where your mouth is."
Lena Waithe, writer, producer, and actor, @lenawaithe
“Donate whatever you can to support Planned Parenthood health centers, or donate your time as a Planned Parenthood volunteer.”
“Before
I was an influencer, I worked in technology, which is pretty much all
white men. I often think about how it’s impossible for the tech
ecosystem to support women's needs if we’re not helping building it
ourselves. The only way to do that is to give women the skills to
actually compete. For International Women’s Day, donate to Black Girls Code, which teaches young women of color to be the tech entrepreneurs of the future.”
"One way you can support women is by donating
to South Africa’s Keeping Girls in School program. Education is key to
young women becoming empowered and being able to make a real difference
in the world."
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Courtesy of Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams, founder and chair of Fair Fight and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, @staceyabrams
"The
idea that women deserve a seat at the table extends to their right to
vote. Like so many systemic barriers, women of color are the most likely
to bear the brunt of discriminatory voting practices. By calling your
local legislators to demand an end to rampant voter purges, a more fair
allocation of resources, the use of hand-marked paper ballots, and the
end of voter ID, women can ensure their voices are heard at the ballot
box and beyond."
Courtesy of Vans
Lizzie Armanto, professional skateboarder and Vans team rider, @lizziearmanto
“I'm spending IWD skateboarding and sharing my passion with women and girls at a skate workshop.
I’ve seen how when girls are able to grab a skateboard, they can really
build confidence, and it’s great for community building. When you can
help people find their passion and put their energy into something and
feel accomplished, it boosts their self-esteem and shapes their
identity.”
From left to right: Chelsea Clinton; Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin; Blair Imani
COURTESY OF CHELSEA CLINTON; SHARON SUH; COURTESY OF BLAIR IMANI
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Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation and author of She Persisted,@chelseaclinton
“An
issue that often flies under the radar is diaper need. One in three
families struggle to buy enough diapers to keep a baby clean, dry, and
healthy—and no mother should ever have to worry about being able to
provide what’s best for their baby. I’m so grateful for the National
Diaper Bank Network and its partners, which help families access
diapers. I hope everyone will learn more about the diaper gap in our
country and support their local diaper bank.”
"Always
ask to bring a plus one. When we were first starting out, we relied on a
network of incredible women who helped open doors for us and introduced
us to people who have helped us grow our business. Since then, we try
to pay it forward by inviting one woman to join us for any event or
meeting that they may not otherwise have access to. We understand the
power of networking and this is an easy way to help connect women at all
levels."
Blair Imani, historian and author of Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History, @blairimani
“When
you talk about women, make sure you’re not just talking about white
women or straight women or abled women or Christian women. I often see
historians claim that women first entered the workplace during the
1940s, but Black women have always been a part of the workforce going
back to when we were enslaved. When people cite 1920 as the year when
women achieved suffrage it erases Native American women, who did not
even have citizenship until the Indian Citizenship Act passed in 1924,
and women of color, who could not exercise their right to vote until the
Voting Rights Act of 1965. The future includes more narratives, not
less—and it will take all of us speaking up at home, at work, and with
friends to change the way history-telling happens.”
Most women would rather talk about their own deaths than money, according to a new study.
And that reluctance is helping to fuel a
wealth gap that sets women back into their retirement years, research
from Merrill Lynch and Age Wave found.
Women are as confident as
men when it comes to routine financial tasks such as paying bills, with
90 percent of respondents, and budgeting, 84 percent. But that
self-assurance plummets to 52 percent for women when it comes to more
complex investing, a 16 percent gap from men, the study found.
That lack of know how can hurt women in the long run and compound some already negative effects on their wealth.
Women typically earn just 82 cents for every dollar a man in a similar job earns, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And they are more likely to take time out of the work force to care for children, parents and their spouses.
Overall, this can add up
to a $1.06 million earnings gap when a woman reaches retirement compared
to a man who has stayed in the work force. (Chart from Merrill Lynch
and Age Wave below.)
But there are concrete steps women can take to mitigate these negative effects on their net worth.
1) Invest early and often
"I just think the sooner you get started, the
better," said Mary Ellen Garrett, senior vice president and private
wealth manager at the Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch.
Putting your money to work early can help mitigate the effects of time out of the work force later on, Garrett said.
Planning early also helps women anticipate a longer life span. Women on average live five years longer than men, Garrett said, and often spend their final years alone.
"The need to be financially self reliant is of the utmost importance," Garrett said.
2) Be strategic about your earning power
Because many women take breaks from their career or plan on working past 65, it is imperative for them to keep their skills fresh.
While not working full time, women can still continue to develop their skills by working on a contract basis through the gig economy, said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of the Transamerica Institute and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.
And women who are in the
work force should make sure they take advantage of benefits that enable
them to continue to hone their skills. That means taking advantage of
classes to expand their professional abilities, even if they're not
pursuing a degree, Collinson said.
When negotiating a new position, women should also be sure to negotiate their pay.
Women who are approaching retirement or who are already retired are increasingly leaning on Social Security
for their income. Women on average expect Social Security to pay 58
percent of their expenses in retirement, according to a survey from
Nationwide Retirement Institute, while 18 percent expect it will pay all
of their overhead.
"This focus on Social
Security is a really big problem," said Tina Ambrozy, president of sales
and distribution at Nationwide. "There's a really big disconnect
between what Social Security is able to cover and what it will cover."
Women also tend to make the mistake of thinking their health will hold out longer than it actually does, according to Ambrozy.
And the high costs of health care
in retirement can cramp your lifestyle. Twenty-six percent of retirees
in Nationwide's survey said that health care expenses have prevented
them from having the retirement lifestyle they desired.
4) Work with a professional who sees the big picture
In the light of the recent revelations that the BBC is paying its female presenters less than their male colleagues, I thought this article was relevant to the topic.
Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg
has called for public policy changes to help improve women’s pay and
claimed that women underestimate their worth, which prevents them from
asking for wage rises.
Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook,
told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs on Sunday she believed job
openings should be contested by equal numbers of women and men.
“We need to start paying women well and we need the public and the
corporate policy to get there,” she said. “Certainly, women applying for
jobs at the same rate as men, women running for office at the same rate
as men, that has got to be part of the answer.”
Sandberg is estimated by Forbes magazine
to be worth $1.7bn (£1.3bn), but she told the Desert Island Discs
presenter Kirsty Young she experienced self-doubt while studying at
Harvard and recognised that women underestimated their worth more than
men, which stopped them putting themselves forward or asking for a pay
rise.
There i:s still much discussion about the pay gap between women and men and I hope you will find this article helpful.
As of
2015, women working full time earned 80 percent of what men working full
time did, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So how can you make up
that ground? Use these tips to try to eliminate the wage gap:
Recognize that negotiating is an asset
Many
hiring managers are prepared to give you $10,000 to $15,000 more than
they offer — but you have to ask, said Kate Gremillion, CEO of Mavenly +
Co., a professional development firm. Negotiating can even help you as
you are getting started in a career. More than three-quarters of
employers said recent graduates appeared more confident when they asked
for more money, a NerdWallet survey found.
Your boss probably isn't paying you what you're worth — instead, they're paying you what they think you're worth. Take the time to learn how to shape their thinking. Pricing consultant Casey Brown shares helpful stories and learnings that can help you better communicate your value and get paid for your excellence.
