By Kristen Euretig, CFP®, CEO and Chief Planning Officer
I will start this off by saying I don’t have the answer, but it pisses me off. Did anyone else boil with rage binge-watching America’s Sweethearts when the Chief Brand Officer addressed the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders’ meager pay after seeing a former cheerleader recovering from hip surgery because of the physical demands of jumping in the air and landing in the splits during the fan-favorite dance routine to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck?
Charlotte Jones said: “They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in the field of dance to get to perform at an elite level. It is about being a part of something bigger than themselves.”
84
How many cents women make for every dollar earned by men doing the same work.
Well, Charlotte Jones who has an estimated net worth of 100 million dollars can GTFO. Women-identifying folx are often told they shouldn’t choose professions for the pay. When women focus on and want the access to wealthbuilding freely given to their male counterparts, they’re called names men are rarely accused of: greedy, money grubbing, gold digger, money hungry and on and on. These are misogynist terms meant to stigmatize women for going after their rightful piece of the pie.
So I decided it was time to take a looksie at the gender wage gap and guess what? Women identifying folx are STILL earning 84 cents on the dollar for the same jobs as men. It gets worse: Black identifying women make 64 cents on the dollar and those who identify as Latinas make just 55 – almost a full half of what their male-identifying counterparts make. And it’s about the same as it was 20 years ago.
So, next time you’re accepting a job offer or negotiating a raise, reach further. Whatever number you have in mind, add 16% and I encourage you to ask the folx giving you a number if your male counterparts with your level of experience are earning that or more as part of your negotiation strategy.