While women’s history month is coming to a close, many women’s issues do not get left behind in March.
Throughout the year, the Women and Gender Resource Center partners with the Career Center and the UA chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to host Start Smart workshops to help female students develop salary-negotiation skills to try and diminish the gender pay gap.
According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, Alabama has one of the largest gender salary gaps in the country. As of April 2017, women in Alabama are paid only 76 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts.
Paige Miller, program coordinator for the Women and Gender Resource Center, said, while there are multiple causes of the pay gap, negotiation skills are a leading factor on an individual basis.
“Women are a lot less likely to negotiate for a salary than men are,” Miller said. “Women are also underrepresented in fields that pay greater amounts and they are more represented in fields that don’t pay as much.”
The report also found that for minorities in Alabama the wage gap is even larger. Among women of color who work full-time jobs, black women are paid 57 cents, Latinas are paid 49 cents and Asian women are paid 72 cents for every dollar paid to white men working full-time jobs.
According to their website, the AAUW is partnered with over 800 colleges and universities across the country. They focus on spreading awareness of the gender pay gap and educating women on how to combat it through events and workshops such as the Start Smart workshops.
The goal of the workshops is to educate and empower college women entering the workforce, giving them the information and confidence necessary to negotiate their salaries and ensure they are receiving the best possible benefits.
According to research conducted by the AAUW, when looking at male and female college graduates who work full time, females are paid only 82 percent of what their male counterparts make.
Haleigh Warren, a freshman majoring in creative media, said she feels the pay gap could have serious implications on future generations if not handled properly.
“As a creative media major, I study the film industry a lot, which is composed primarily of men,” Warren said. “Even with huge female stars in such a profitable industry, the pay gap is still a huge problem and women in the industry are still having to fight for equal pay. I think it’s even harder for women of color, who have far less representation.”
To combat such inequity in the job market, Miller explained the importance of research and salary negotiation skills.
“When entering the job market, it’s important to do research on the job you’re interested in and the area you might move to so you know what the fair pay is and have the knowledge,” Miller said.
Morgan Waters, a senior chemical engineering major, said she went into salary negotiations relentlessly and confident of her abilities. Waters researched the average salaries of chemical engineers and was confident in her skills as a negotiator. When interviewing, she knew that she was qualified for the job, and believes that confidence is key.
“They exceeded my highest salary to secure me,” Waters said. “They know how much they can spend, I just have to not let up. I was also one of six girls out of 60 people to go to the last round of interviews. Trick was confidence. I knew I was good going in.”
In addition to sponsoring the workshops, the UA AAUW hosts several events throughout the year to create community among female students and promote gender equity.
The next Start Smart workshop is Wednesday, April 11 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. in 133 Lloyd Hall. If interested, students should register at http://bit.ly/2IB6Zev and contact Paige Miller at [email protected] for more information.
