It’s 2017, and yet women are still fighting for equality. Data suggests it will take until 2152 to close the gender wage gap, but it shouldn’t take a century to get what we want. We want more, and Refinery29 is here to help — because 135 years is too long to wait for what we deserve today.
We want more.
It's such a simple idea, and yet, in so many ways, it’s hard to say out loud.
We want more.
It’s 2017, and equality is still an issue for all women. Here we are, pausing to commemorate another Equal Pay Day, reiterating those awful numbers we repeat over and over: Women are paid 80 cents to every dollar a man makes. It’s far worse for women of color: Black women make just 64 cents and Hispanic women make a measly 54. But what do those numbers even mean? And is it even possible to fix this systemic problem? Data suggests we won’t reach pay parity in the U.S. until 2152.
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Sometimes it feels hopeless — after all, there are so many things holding us back: discrimination, a scarcity of quality benefits, workplaces that are not supportive of women and mothers, and our own lack of confidence. Women graduate into the real world prepared to succeed (after all, we’re going to college in greater numbers than men), but within two years, we find ourselves questioning how to get ahead in the workplace — and if we even want that success. Unconscious bias is insidious, and sometimes it feels like we’re set up to fail. Even when we do speak up, we get dinged. Ambition is a dirty word. Fight for what you want, and it’s not unlikely you’ll be called a bitch. Or worse.
But name-calling can’t hold us back. And unfair systems can’t stop us either. Yes, we’ve been fighting for decades for equal rights, but now isn’t the time to give up. Now is the time to fight for more.
We want more.
We want equal pay. We want paid family leave. We want managers who see our potential to promote us. We want a female president and more women in all areas of government. We want our doctors to hear our questions. We want partners who see our strengths and help us thrive. We want to have it all — and we don’t want to hear that it’s not possible.
Refinery29 is here to help. We’re here to provide the tools and inspiration to encourage women to fight for what they deserve. Because 135 years is too long to wait for equality. Let’s start fixing the problem today.