March is Women's History Month. We are celebrating at AKA by recognizing the powerful, talented, humble, and intentional women on our team, and in the communities and organizations that we serve. One of the common characteristics that our team shares is that we are all mothers and some even grandmothers. What unites us is our vision that the work we do today will impact our families, communities, and clients.
In my lifetime I have seen a shift in how women are treated in research and evaluation, and various professional settings. There has been some progress, but there is more work to do.
Women in Evaluation
The majority of evaluators are female. But female evaluators make less than men. A 2015 report of evaluators reported that the average revenue for men was $207,480 and just $138,947 for women, a wage gap of 50 percent where men make MORE.
Women in Research
Women are under-represented in the population of scientific authors and have fewer opportunities to enter research disciplines and advance in their fields.
Women in Academia
Women earn the majority of doctorate degrees but only 32 percent are full professors and only 30 percent of college presidents are women.
Women's Educational Attainment
Out of 144 countries, the US ranks first in women's education attainment but 19th in women's economic participation/opportunity and 96th in women's political empowerment.
Women Earn Less Than Men
Women of color experience even greater pay gaps, women of color earn $0.64 for every dollar that a white man earns compared with white women who earn $0.79 for every dollar that a white man earned. As women age, the gender pay gaps increase even more.
Key messages
End unconscious bias and gender discrimination in the workplace, call it out, name it, and be brave
Support fellow women leaders, evaluators, researchers, and students
Share compensation rates freely and ensure gender equity in wages
Provide paid leave for women and families
Advance women in leadership positions
What matters?
With everything happening in our world today I find myself asking the question, "Will this matter in five years?". This helps me be intentional about how I spend my time and energy. Women's rights, equal pay, equal and equitable treatment in all settings, matter today, and they will still matter in five years or 500 years.