We're in the middle of a game-changing moment for equal pay. TIME'S UP and the women of the U.S. Women's National Team Players Association (USWNT Players) have teamed up to end the pay gap for good — in soccer and across industries.
The USWNT Players have already ignited a global conversation on equality and women's rights, culminating in chants of "equal pay" at Lyon stadium when the U.S. women earned their fourth World Championship in July. Now, the players are using this historic moment to fight for equal pay for every woman by teaming up with TIME'S UP to say: "Time's Up, Pay Up."
Get the facts about the pay gap below, and then find out how you can join TIME'S UP and the USWNT Players to help close it for good.
What Is the Pay Gap?
The pay gap refers to the fact that, across the board, American women earn less than men, with women of color losing out the most. Working women earn, on average, 20 percent less than their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts, and for every dollar earned by a white, non-Hispanic male:
- Asian-American women earn just 85 cents;
- White, non-Hispanic women earn just 77 cents;
- African-American women earn just 61 cents, and
- Latinas earn just 53 cents.
Without sustained action to address the root causes of the pay gap by both business leaders and policymakers, American women will not reach pay parity with men until the year 2106.
What Causes the Pay Gap?
Research shows three main factors drive the pay gap, which collectively render women less likely to advance to senior managerial positions with higher salaries, thereby exacerbating the gap. The three primary reasons for the pay gap are:
- Gender and racial discrimination, which accounts for almost 40 percent of the pay gap;
- Women being overrepresented in low-wage jobs and underrepresented in higher-wage occupations; and
- The greater burden of home and caregiving responsibilities falling on women, which means women often spend more time away from work than men.
How Does TIME'S UP Work to Close the Pay Gap?
There are a number of factors that contribute to the pay gap, and a number of interventions that can address it.
- Culture change. From production sets to soccer fields, from tech giants to news desks, women are driving toward a future that no longer tolerates being paid less. Period. TIME'S UP drives a national conversation around pay equity, educates employers, employees, and policy leaders on the issue, and raises public awareness of the issue.
- Company change. Companies must take the lead to close the gender pay gap. TIME'S UP encourages companies to take steps like assessing median pay across gender and racial lines, combatting retaliation, disclosing compensation information to prospective and current employees, and encouraging pay transparency.
- Policy change. In statehouses across the country and in the halls of Congress, women (and men!) are fighting for laws aimed at closing the pay gap once and for all. We are pushing for bold policy change to finally address the constellation of factors that fuel the gender wage gap, like pay transparency, but also target underlying factors like child care and paid leave.
Take Action to End the Pay Gap with TIME'S UP and the U.S. Women's National Team Players Association
Ending the pay gap for good is going to take all of us stepping up to demand that everyone is paid her worth — period. Here's how you can help.
- Donate to the Time's Up, Pay Up campaign and fuel our work fighting for pay equity across culture, companies, and laws. Your gift will go directly towards TIME'S UP's work across industries to address the root causes of pay discrimination.
- Share our campaign on social media and spread the facts about the pay gap. Repeat after us: The pay gap is real, it's worse for women of color, and there are a number of factors that contribute to it. Educate your friends about why pay equity is about more than “equal pay.”
- Do your part to end the pay gap in your own community, including:
- Ask your candidates and lawmakers to prioritize closing the pay gap -- pressing them on all three factors (discrimination, disproportionate caregiving, and raising wages in lower-paid industries).
- Ban the practice of asking people's salary history, if you're an employer or have influence over hiring decisions.
- Donate to TIME'S UP to support our work fighting for pay equity for all women.
Your tax-deductible donation to the TIME'S UP Foundation will go directly towards fighting for pay equity and safe, fair, and dignified work for all women.