Women Effect: How investors can push for equal pay and crack the glass ceiling

Research tells us that having more women in the top ranks of corporate America is a good thing. Gender diverse teams lead to greater profitability, return on equity, stock price performance, and innovation—key performance measures for any company.  As such, structural biases that keep women from advancing into leadership positions, including the gender pay gap, are significant barriers to outperformance. Yet the gap persists—women continue to make 79 cents on the dollar, as compared to men—a shortfall not expected to close for another 40 years.  That is, at the current rate of change.

Thankfully, bigger change is in the air.  Over the last year, the outcry, action and momentum to close the gender wage gap has escalated and investors have successfully pressed top companies to commit to fair pay. California and Massachusetts have passed the strongest equal pay laws to date. The Paycheck Fairness Act continues to pend at the federal level, and over the last several months, more than 50 companies have signed the White House Equal Pay Pledge. All this in nine months!

Continue reading this article by Natasha Lamb at Women Effect.