MAKERS Conference 2024: Progress Isn’t Enough - Fighting to End the Gender Wage Gap

The gender wage gap is often regarded as a barometer of systemic inequality. Its continued existence reflects broader societal attitudes and institutional barriers that continue to hinder women's advancement in the workforce. While significant strides have been made towards achieving equality, disparities in pay between men and women continue, raising important questions about economic injustice and how to fix it.

Despite years of advocacy and decades of progress, the undeniable truth is that the gender wage gap persists, shaping both workplace dynamics and the broader cultural landscape. In 1963, a woman made 59 cents for each dollar earned by a man. By 2010 that number had increased to 77 cents per dollar—an improvement of only a half-a-cent on average annually.

Today, according to the Center for American Progress, women make 16% less than men on average, earning just 84 cents for every dollar a man makes. This gap increases for women of color especially for workers in rural areas, with Black and Hispanic women making just 56 cents for every dollar that white men make.

At this year’s annual MAKERS Conference, one of the leaders in the fight to end the gender wage gap, First Partner of California - Jennifer Siebel Newsom took the stage at the Beverly Hilton to discuss the current state of the wage gap and the work that is being done to rectify the on-going problem.

“Unfortunately, and yes, unsurprisingly” Newsom stated, “The World Economic Forum estimates that it will take 131 years to achieve gender parity across education attainment, economic participation and opportunity, health and survival and political empowerment. And it will take an alarming 257 more years just to close the gender pay gap for women in the United States.”

Since the launch of the California Equal Pay Pledge in 2019, Newsom’s office in partnership with the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency have worked tirelessly to form some of the strongest equal pay laws in the nation.

While addressing the litany of additional issues that come along with the gender pay gap, Newsom spoke her truth to the packed audience “the gender pay gap is just one part of a larger systemic issue that includes a patriarchal imbalance and structure which is holding us back in a myriad of ways.”

Sharing the stage with Newsom during the in-depth discussion on equal pay was US Women’s National Soccer Team member Tobin Heath, who is no stranger to fighting the patriarchy to get what is rightfully deserved. In March of 2019, the USWNT filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation alleging discrimination in pay, treatment, and working conditions compared to the Men's National Team.

Key arguments included the vast disparity in earnings between the men's and women's teams, despite the women's team often outperforming the men's both on the field and in terms of viewership and generating revenue. The women argued that they were not only paid less but also received inferior training facilities, travel arrangements, and medical support compared to their male counterparts.

In discussing the historic case on stage with Newsom, Heath recalled one pivotal moment in the process. “Our U.S. Soccer President at the time would say something like, you know, the market realities are such that you are not deserving of being paid what you think you are worth. Yeah well why are the market realities are such what comes first investment or revenue. Because women only receive money on past performances, but men receive money on potential.”

In December 2020, the Women's team reached a settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation, securing significant gains in pay and working conditions. While the resolution marked a milestone victory for the players, the broader impact of the case resonated far beyond the soccer field, serving as a rallying cry for gender equality and sparking momentum for similar battles in other industries.

Heath, Co-Founder of the lifestyle brand re-inc, opened up to Newsom that she and all the members of the USWNT were aware that their fight wasn’t just about them but a historic victory for all women in the on-going battle for equality on and off the field.

“This was a team” said Heath, “this was a collective group of women that knew each other's strengths extremely well. And what we did was we knew each other's strengths, both on and off the field. And with our pay equity lawsuit, we made sure we were putting each other in positions of strength. And really, that transformed this into a very powerful fight because we put each other in positions to succeed in our pay equity lawsuit, not as soccer players, but truly as people fighting for change.”

According to the most recent Pew Research, the gender wage gap has remained largely unchanged in the last 20 years. Unfortunately, the gender wage gap doesn't exist in isolation, it creates a ripple effect of interconnected issues that reverberate throughout society.

Beyond economics, the gap also perpetuates social inequalities, reinforcing gender stereotypes and limiting opportunities for women's advancement in leadership positions and other spheres of influence. Addressing and eventually ending the gender wage gap is not only essential for achieving workplace equity but also for fostering a more just and inclusive society.