Women’s organization sponsoring events
The Women and Girls Foundation (WGF) is springing into action to empower women to change the gender wage gap in southwestern Pennsylvania by sponsoring two events this month. On Saturday, April 14, WGF will sponsor Catapult, a salary negotiation training session, at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington. Later in the month, on April 24, the momentum will continue with An Equal Pay Day Rally will be held Tuesday, April 24, in Market Square in Pittsburgh.
According to WGF, southwestern Pennsylvania has one of the most dramatic wage gaps in the country. Nationally, women make 76 cents for every dollar that a man earns. In southwestern Pennsylvania, women earn 69 cents per dollar. The AFL-CIO ranked Pennsylvania 46 out of 50 in our rate of progress towards eliminating that gap.
Catapult is a new program that will provide women in the area with the negotiation skills they need to close the gender wage gap. As part of the program, WGF will train volunteers to become salary negotiation coaches. Then, in 2008, women throughout southwestern Pennsylvania will be able to call the foundation and receive affordable salary negotiation coaching over the phone to help them with upcoming interviews and annual job reviews.
WGF is partnering with the PROGRESS Center at Carnegie Mellon University and the Community Foundations of Fayette and Greene counties to sponsor Catapult. Dr. Linda Babcock, an author and Carnegie Mellon University economics professor, will provide negotiation training to any man or woman who is interested in initiating change in the community. No previous negotiation training is required to participate in the event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
The fight for equal pay will continue with the Equal Pay Day Rally from noon to 1 p.m. in downtown Pittsburgh. The event will include speakers who will give tangible examples of how women can fight to decrease the gender wage gap. “Will Work for Equality” signs will be passed out to supporters to demonstrate the commitment in southwestern Pennsylvania to equal pay.
“Women in Southwestern Pennsylvania make less than 70 percent of every dollar that a man earns, totaling $1 million in a lifetime,” said WGF Executive Director Heather Arnet. “Our spring agenda is to empower one woman at a time by giving women the tools they need to stop the gender wage gap and initiate change in their communities.”
Catapult and the Equal Pay Day Rally are both open to the public. There is a cost for Catapult and includes breakfast and lunch. Those interested in attending can go to wgfpa.org or call 412- 434-4883 for more information or to RSVP. The Equal Pay Day Rally is free. Those interested in attending can e-mail begin stephanie@wgfpa.org stephanie@wgfpa.org end
or call 412-434-4883.