Path towards closing the gap
Without protections, women will not reach pay parity until 2059, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Protective laws for women in the workplace need to be strengthened. (11)
The solution is two pronged. As a society we must:
Create pay transparency and equitable workplace policies through
Voluntary Company Pledging programs
Stricter State and Federal laws
Combat gender bias and stereotyping.
Companies Pledging to pay equally
Progress on wage equality for women in the United States has been slow but some companies have pledged gender wage equality. According to a White House Press release, In 2016, as part of the United State of Women Summit, the White House issued a call to action for America's businesses, both large and small, to pledge to be open and transparent about their pay-bands and to address unconscious bias and structural barriers. In 2015 and 2016, more than 100 companies — including Ebay, AT&T, Yahoo, and more — signed President Barack Obama’s Equal Pay Pledge. The initiative required companies to review their hiring practices, create policies to ensure equal pay and conduct an annual analysis on the gender wage gap. (13 & 14)
In 2016, The Obama Administration also issued a White House Tech Inclusion Pledge. 33 technology companies signed a commitment, pledging to make their workforces reflect the diversity of the US population. Only seven of the original 33 companies published any information at all, and only two released the complete EEO-1 data. (15)
Stricter State Laws
The national conversation around gender discrimination sparks stricter fair pay laws in states such as California, New York and New Jersey. With Trump’s suspension of federal pay equity legislation, many states have taken matters into their own hands and passed tougher state laws.
According to the US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, 15 states have state protection laws states have. California has lead in efforts to close the pay gap. In 2016, a new state law went into effect (the California Fair Pay Act) mandating that women be paid the same as their male colleagues "for substantially similar work.” It also imposed a ban on retaliation against women who discuss their pay, or ask about the salaries of colleagues, while on the job. (12)
Combating gender bias and stereotyping
Gender stereotyping begins at a young age and consistently influences girls choices as they are growing up. Children should be given freedom to creatively play and explore the world without stereotypes.
Throughout the education system boys and girls should be provided the same opportunities and not steered in gender specific directions.
The historical roles of division of labor and family responsibilities should move towards a more modern version of balanced family responsibilities. Views on women roles must change if women are ever going to achieve equal pay for equal work.