Among the many things that women deal with when it comes to equality, equal pay is certainly one lingering issue in almost every industry. Feminism has brought on serious conversations about the inequality and disparities that women deal with — sexism, misogyny and misogynoir, along with plain ol’ equality. Another (very serious) issue happens to be equal pay, or lack thereof. While all of these conversations carry a heavy and important weight, it’s been tied to the trendiness that feminism has become which, ultimately, can blur the lines out of what we want from the movement.
Photo: Refinery29
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau’s The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap, Black women and Latinas still have a larger gap in pay wage than white women. Black women are being paid 38% less than white men — which is an increase from last year — Latinas are being paid 46% less white men, whereas, white women are being paid 20% less than white men.
Initiatives like Ladies Get Paid provide a free “online network where thousands of women from around the world share advice, resources and job opportunities” for other women, according to their website. Most recently, Ladies Get Paid partnered up with Secret to release a video campaign which sheds a bright light on the importance of equal pay.
Photo: Ladies Get Paid
The video campaign — “I’d Rather Get Paid” — shows their lead character in the bathroom of her workplace singing to herself in the mirror, “I wish there was a song women around the world could sing to inspire and remind us, we could do anything,” and continues on to say, “Come to think of, I’d rather get paid.”
The video continues on with statements such as, “I see so many lovely gestures telling women we're strong, but paying us a fair wage is what we've wanted all along.” Throughout the video, cameos from stars and sports legends alike are sprinkled throughout while continuing to send the strong message of pay equality.
Photo: Ladies Get Paid
The founder of Ladies Get Paid, Claire Wasserman, expressed to Refinery29, “While the commercial is fun, it points to something very serious: Women aren't expected to reach pay parity until 2059, and we obviously can't wait that long. If Secret’s campaign inspires women to finally ask for that raise they deserve (which in itself is a service to all women), or if it compels companies to reconsider their compensation benefits practices, that will be a step in the right direction.”
Wasserman hopes the partnership will have to do with more than just encouraging women to ask for a raise but to also band together to raise the bar for what’s acceptable and unacceptable to bring change to everyone, especially those at the organizational level.
Check out the amazing video below:
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