The wage gap has been a notorious issue in America for years. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a woman makes $.80 of a man’s dollar. This difference is obnoxious, considering the amount of work and family-related responsibilities women handle on a daily basis.
The reality is that nobody is going to fight for your rights nor provide you with a higher pay unless you acknowledge the issue and work towards fixing it. Moreover, you need to consider the fact that as a woman, you pay over 47% of what men pay for grooming products, which depict the high cost of being a woman.
After doing hours of research and testing these methods for myself, I put together a list of the things women can do to help close the wage gap.
1. Know your worth
Countless women have stable jobs with a decent income. However, since they have an “I am a minority” type of mindset, they believe that they cannot ask for a raise nor get a higher paying job due to their gender. This theory is untrue. Women must realize the value they bring to a company and embrace it.
If they know that they are not getting paid what they truly deserve, they have the right to bring that up to their boss and discuss the possibilities of an increase.
Additionally, women can research how much they should be getting paid in their industry by state. If their boss disagrees, they should consider working in a non-toxic company that promotes equality and stability.
2. Learn how to manage your money
Although this point may not increase your income from the moment you learn how to do it, it will contribute to your net worth in the long run.
When you learn how to manage your money, you will become more educated about what amount goes where. For instance, you can invest 10-15% of your income in the stock market, real estate, or in a business. This investment could result in a six-figure wage increase and therefore contribute to the closing of the wage gap.
3. Change company
Many companies are working on making equal pay for women a priority. According to Glassdoor, some of these companies are Adobe, Apple, Amazon, Cisco, and eBay. Unfortunately, you may feel stuck in a company where your pay is not prioritized as much as your male counterparts’. If you think this way, it is a good sign that you need to change where you work since you will not obtain substantial personal or professional growth.
4. Learn new skills
Women with numerous skills that can operate a variety of tasks are valuable. Learning new skills will open many doors such as a higher position at work, a higher pay, and essential references. Think about it this way: you may lose your job, but you will not lose your skills.
You may use sites like Lynda from LinkedIn, and Skillshare to take online courses and learn new skills.
Remember to include those skills on your resume and what you have accomplished as proof of your proficiency.
5. Start a side business.
There are more male business owners than women and more male CEOs than women. To efficiently help close the wage gap it is essential for women to have at least two sources of income.
An exceptional way to do so is to create and launch their businesses. Not only will it promote equality, but it will also show that women are smart and worthy of every dime.
It does not have to be a huge company, and women can create their own freelancing business such as writing for others, teaching others how to do something, or even selling what they no longer use.
Originally published at www.linkedin.com