Opinion: Is there Hope for the Gender Pay Gap?

This article first appeared on 6/8 Music’s Blog.

This week, on Equal Pay Day (April 10th), thought leaders, influencers, and passionate professionals curated conversations both in person and online pertaining to equal pay opportunities for women all over the world. This issue has been a controversial topic for decades, but recent social media advocacy campaigns like #timesup and #metoo have yet again been the heroic trends that have brought one more important topic to the societal hot seat.

And why shouldn’t this be talked about? Let’s face the facts. The pay gap is still 20% between men and women. While experts say that this gap is closing in, women around the world are saying “try harder” and “let’s do better”.

I had the opportunity to speak to some of those women who are advocates of change and equality within their professional industries and beyond. They are the do-ers, the teachers, the thought leaders, and some of the wonder women of our time. Here’s what they had to say.

“So much of our self-actualization comes from what we do, day in and day out, for a living. What we recognize as our talents and how we try to develop them to support our livelihood, leisure and wellbeing. It’s so crucial that we are properly compensated for that and it’s not only financially detrimental, but…