Bridging the Gender Pay Gap

More and more empowered women are daring to venture into the male-dominated work place. They are putting on their dress suits and walking into their workplaces with vigor and confidence poised to conquer each working day. They carry out their duties diligently and with precision, they socialize with their colleagues .They are all part of a big working family, everything is good. Well, until payday.

Women have always been great at negotiating with other people; what with their articulate diction, language and listening skills. They however find it hard to do it for themselves especially when confronted with an uncomfortable situation.

When women receive their emolument, they don’t negotiate for a pay increment. Their timid nature and barrier ignorance make them opt to take the easy way out and avoid the uncomfortable conversation when asking for a raise. They end up accepting whatever amount of salary the employer offers. Some try to negotiate but at times their requests denied saying they weren’t qualified while others are just shamelessly discriminated.

“Why would you want such a huge salary? Your husband is working and you don’t have any children,” Some would say.

Kenya is still grappling with its patriarchal culture. The gender pay gap is still evident and women are still earning a third of what their male counterparts are getting. It’s about time the women learned to fend for themselves and help bridge the gender pay gap. Not many employers’ voluntary offer can match the women’s value to their salary . It is important that women learned how to negotiate for a pay rise and manage their careers more effectively and bridge the pay gap.

The following are some of the tips on how to negotiate for a pay rise;

Market research

It is impertinent that you carry out an extensive market research to get all the necessary information related to your job. You should also benchmark your salary range by finding out your worth to your employer’s .This can be done by comparing wages from other people in sites such as LinkedIn.

Change the mindset

Many women view the process as a battle rather than a negotiation. They anticipate resistance, get personal and come off as sell interested. A more friendly but assertive approach would likely get you a better result.

Package your offer

Make your salary increment offer appealing to the other party by demonstrating your worth and outlining your accomplishments .This can be achieved from printed materials or an actual presentation.

Avoid getting emotional

Women are known to get emotional and snap on an instant. While negotiating for a pay rise, it’s important to keep calm and collected. Getting emotional and threatening to leave will bad on you. Your future experience in the company would be strained.

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