SPECIAL REPORT
Yep, It’s 2023 and Women Are Still Making Less Advocates excited with salary transparency bill slated to go into effect in September this year By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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hen asked for an interview about gender wage equality, Anne Messenger quipped, “Give me a break; are we still doing this?” because the topic sounds so antiquated, like equality issues such as the right to vote or own property. Messenger, a women-owned business advocate in Manlius, serves as the chapter chairwoman of the Women Presidents’ Organization in Syracuse. The topic warrants attention, as women still making less money than their male counterpart of equal skill and experience, despite the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median weekly earnings for women were $912 or 83.1% of men’s earnings in 2021. Although many employers in recent times have struggled to meet rising wages and other expenses, “there are a lot of organizations employing people who can control pay. The decision makers can make changes,” Messenger said. “They can be intentional about those changes within their budget limits, of course.” Messenger wants to see more women become outspoken about money at work. Instead of just settling and feeling
meek about whatever salary is offered, she wants women to research what their experience and education is worth. Messenger expressed excitement for the salary transparency bill (legislation S.9427-A/A.10477) slated to go into effect in September this year. Anyone employing four or more will have to list salary ranges for all advertised openings and promotions. “Equipped with the information, we need to go out and have a conversation and talk about the job, think about the job when it’s offered and then negotiate for a fair salary and compensation,” she said. Care responsibility is one factor as to why women get less over the course of their careers. Only women have children. Women also provide the lion’s share of childrearing and elder care. For many women, these responsibilities take them out of the workforce for months to years at a time, making it difficult for them to achieve tenure-based raises. Messenger said that many women missed these opportunities during the worst of the pandemic because they had to stay home with caregiving duties. With greater acceptance of hybrid and work-from-home arrangements, Messenger hopes that
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fewer working women will miss opportunities for advancement because of caregiving responsibilities. Kishi Animashaun Ducre, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at SU, does not believe that caregiving roles entirely explain the wage discrepancy and said that “the patriarchy” is more to blame. Ducre is an associate professor of African American Studies at the College of Arts & Sciences at the university. “There is no rational, economic reason for it except for gender inequity,” Ducre said. “Women of color make even less.” She referenced Equal Pay Day is March 15, meaning that a woman would have to work one year, plus until March 15 the following year to equal the pay a man receives for one year’s work. “The differences are starker when you think of Blacks and Latinas,” Ducre added. “For Black women, it’s Sept. 21 — and additional nine months. For Latinas, it’s Dec. 8.” It may seem that the service industries, in which women predominate, may skew the numbers. However, Ducre said that even in fields where women work in greater numbers like nursing and education, men still make more.
