Asking for a promotion, higher compensation or even partnership in an organization is a highly marketable skill. Yet it is a well-known fact that there is a huge gap in pay and representation between women and men in senior positions. There are a variety of factors that may contribute to this gap, but one potential answer is that women don't negotiate as hard, or as often, as men.
That’s not the whole story. The real question is: why don't women negotiate more?
According to the NAWL 2017 Annual Report Survey, “for over a decade, approximately 50 percent of law students nationwide have been women, law firms have recruited women entry-level associates in proportion to their representation among law school graduates.” However, as in many male-dominated industries, we do not see the same proportion of women represented as equity partners in those same law firms.
Calendars have flipped to April, which means that in addition to longer days and rising temps, we’re closing the chapter on Women’s History Month. However, we’re here to remind you that gender equality is not about a single day, or a single month—this year’s theme for International Women’s Day makes it clear that the Press for Progress is an ongoing call to drive change in ourselves, in our workplaces, and in our communities. The “hype” may have passed, but the need has not.