Happy New Year to all our 100% Talent Compact Signers. I have never been so happy to see the calendar move forward. There is that glimmer of hope, supported by the few minutes of daylight we gain each day, that things will change for the better in 2021. 

The Boston Women’s Workforce Council (BWWC) is working to produce measurable progress in closing the gender/racial wage gap in Greater Boston in 2021. We all feel the urgency, that maybe there really has been a repositioning of culture so that those intangible workplace barriers that hold women back will actually be eliminated. 

Most companies don't mean to discriminate. In fact, our 2020 research report, Interventions That Work, showed that most CEOs say they don't have a gender/racial wage gap. The numbers, unfortunately, often tell a different story.

2020 put the lives of working women in full view. It is our hope that in 2021 we can use this transparency to fix the inequities, big and small, that have left women earning 70¢ to every $1.00 a man earns, and even less for women of color. It is not just “equal pay for equal work”, the law since 1963. Until women have the same promotion opportunities as men, the gender wage gap will remain. Speaking about the numbers, 2021 is a data collection year for our Compact Signers. As we begin the process, the BWWC is thinking about new ways to make the aggregated information more useful and actionable. Please take a few minutes to fill out this quick survey to advise us on how we can best serve you and your organization. We will use your answers to make sure our programs and reporting are relevant and engaging as we plan for the coming year.

Finally, please join us on February 3rd from 12-1 PM at our first digital forum of the new year where our four 2020 Innovative Initiative Award Winners will share the programs they put in place early in the pandemic to support women in their workforce. It will be an opportunity to ask questions to understand better if these same interventions might be worth a try at your workplace. 

As all of us look forward to a better new year, we acknowledge that closing the gender/racial wage gap will not happen overnight. Your participation in the 100% Talent Compact demonstrates your commitment to the hard work for change ahead. Thank you for your time, commitment, and data, and we look forward to supporting your efforts as we work toward gender pay equity.

Best,

Kim Borman, Executive Director