As one of the most viral clips in recent months, this video of Viola Davis probably appeared in your social media feed. But as a busy employer, your hectic schedule may have prohibited you from pressing play. Here’s why you need to find the time…
The ethnicity pay gap for women
The video is a 2018 interview in which the award-winning actor addresses the ethnicity pay gap for women. Today, her powerful words are as poignant as ever:
“We won’t talk about gender inequality of pay because a lot of the women who stepped forward — and I stand in solidarity with them, okay — what they’re getting paid, which is half of what a man is getting paid? Well, we get probably a tenth of what a Caucasian woman gets. And I’m number one on the call sheet.”
In the same year, the career coach Octavia Goredema MBE also wrote an article for WORK180 revealing the figures behind the global ethnicity pay gap for women. As Goredema predicted, Pay Scale’s 2020 Gender Pay Gap Report proves that progress is still slow:
Globally, women make $0.81 for every dollar a man makes (one cent more than in 2018).
This continues to be less for black or African American women, American Indian and Alaska Native women, and Hispanic women, who earn $0.75 for every dollar a white man earns.
The reappearance of Viola Davis’ interview is an important reminder of this continued intersectional pay disparity — an issue that is being marked today (13th August) with Black Women’s Equal Pay Day in America. However, following the increased attention for movements like Black Lives Matter, many companies have publicly pledged to tackle such issues. And for those that truly mean it, huge rewards await.
The rewards of equity
From greater engagement to increased profitability, reports consistently boast benefits of inclusion and diversity in the workplace. For example, a global report by McKinsey & Company revealed that those with high gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform their peers. This increases to 35% for ethnically diverse companies.
Of course, correlation does not mean causation. Such results are not achieved simply by hiring more women or ensuring pay equity for all; the change must be genuine, comprehensive, and managed effectively — and WORK180 is here to help.