Wage gap? Pay Equity Day? Whether or not you are familiar with these concepts, if you plan to join the workforce, you need to educate yourself about the ways in which gender shows up in the workplace, often to the detriment of women, trans* people, and those who don’t want to be limited by gender norms. Since most people don’t want to participate in policies or behaviors they know will set back others’ hopes and goals, they can be involved in our programs to learn more about creating a gender inclusive workplace.
We collaborate with many offices and departments on campus for this program, so being involved gives you the chance to meet many new people. All of our projects include two important points: what’s happening and what participants can do about it. For example, when we do sessions with the Center for Career and Professional Development on Campus, our Director begins the session with specific information about women in the application process (e. g. how they may limit their choices if they don’t meet all of the requirements) and research on why women don’t ask during negotiations. The CCPD then provides lots of information about the negotiation process and how to research for a smart ask, and the Center for Gender Equity then includes reminders about how everyone in the room has a good chance at being a manager or hiring person someday. They can take this knowledge with them to investigate hiring policies and procedures at their workplace and to ensure their process is equitable.
In another instance, a student interning in the Center facilitated a conversation about how 78 cents for every Dollar doesn’t tell the whole story about what women of color make and in what sectors of the workplace. In addition to educating participants, she also asked if and how any of them had encountered unfair pay practices. Then we spoke about what we could do, both in those past scenarios, and also in future positions. Our approach is that everyone, no matter what gender, has a role to play in making the workplace inclusive. We also know, however, that recognizing the issues is the first step, so we start with education and follow up with what to do about it.