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Closing the Wage Gap in Tech
Empowering Women on Women’s Equal Pay Day
When I transitioned from Education to becoming a Software Engineer, there was one thing I was determined not to accept: earning less than my male counterparts for equal work. When I received my first job offer after transitioning careers, I knew I never wanted to find out that the guy sitting next to me with similar or lesser experience was getting paid more than I was. Refusing to settle for less, I mustered the courage to negotiate my salary, even as a novice in the field.
That pivotal moment set the tone for my career in Tech and ignited my passion for advocating for fair compensation. As Women’s Equal Pay Day approaches, it’s a sobering reminder of the persistent wage gap that continues to plague the Tech industry and workplaces worldwide. Yet, it also serves as a call to action for women like me, determined to challenge the status quo and demand equal pay for equal work.
On this Women’s Equal Pay Day, let’s lay bare the realities of the gender wage gap in Tech and explore actionable steps for driving meaningful change both individually and within our organizations.
Women’s Equal Pay Day
Women’s Equal Pay Day—which falls on March 12, 2024—symbolizes the date when women, on average, finally catch up to what men earned in the previous year. Rooted in the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the workplace, this observance sheds light on the persistent disparity in earnings between men and women. It highlights the additional time and effort women must invest to achieve financial parity.
The State of the Gender Wage Gap in the U.S.
According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), on average, women in the U.S. working full-time, year-round earn 84 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. Taking into account all workers (including part-time and seasonal), that number drops to just 78 cents for every dollar paid to men…
