Pittsburgh Organizations Aim To Empower Women In The Workplace
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- During Women's History Month, and specifically on International Women's Day, there is an increased focus on the state of the gender pay gap.
The pandemic has stalled gains made toward closing the pay gap between women and men. The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show women earn 82 cents for every $1 a man earns, and the gap is even wider for many women of color.
Beth Caldwell, president of Pittsburgh Professional Women, is a success strategist for busy, professional women. She helps women advocate for themselves when it comes to getting what they deserve and what they're worth.
"Awareness is the most important thing," Caldwell said. "Recognize where you are and where you want to be and have the courage to ask for what you want. Put your name in the hat to stand out, be seen, be heard. And that is the way change really happens."
Renee Coyner, senior vice president of Business Banking at KeyBank, agrees. Coyner is the executive chair of Key4Women, which offers mentoring, financial services, training and networking.
"We teach them to advocate and empower one another to work towards those goals and close that gap," said Coyner.
"It's remarkable when you see a group of women sitting around a table and talking about what skill sets they have and how they've gone through their career paths and aligning each of them with another like female ... forming those mentorships organically. It's rewarding and fulfilling to see that come together," Coyer added
Caldwell admits that women have come a long way.
"What would our great-grandmothers, what would our grandmothers say if they could see what we're doing today? Let's take a look and pause and instead of looking at what we don't have. Let's look at what we've accomplished. Let's look at what are the possibilities and the differences we can have waiting for our daughters when they enter the workplace," Caldwell said.
Caldwell is the author of the book 'Women, LEAD!' She's been offering empowerment and educational resources for women since 2004.