The Path to Pay Equity Begins Early

Girls' School Community Offers Insights on Closing Pay Gap

04/01/2007- NCGS Press Release

The National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS) applauds the American Association of University Women for its new report on persistent gender-based inequities in workplace compensation.

AAUW provides compelling data demonstrating where the pay gap exists, and suggests several approaches to shrinking the gap. NCGS, a leading advocate for excellence in girls' education, believes the girls' school community has additional insights to share:

• We are firm believers in the power of mentorship, and regularly work to ensure that our students see and interact with accomplished -- and equitably-compensated -- women in a variety of fields. Mentoring is a two way street. It gives girls and young women insight to the opportunities available and what is required to make the most of these opportunities. Mentorship also alerts the business/professional world to the talent, seriousness and potential of the women working their way up the ranks of school and career.
   
  
• Encouragement at the college and university level is important, but the path to high-paying careers, particularly in technical fields, begins early. At girls' schools, we recognize that girls are naturally interested in science, technology, engineering and math even in the youngest grades. We encourage this interest, make it clear that we expect them to succeed and achieve, and work to make gender stereotypes a thing of the past.
   
  
• Self-confidence is one of the strongest lessons imparted by girls' schools. Our graduates have worked hard to hone their talents, have learned to value their expertise and abilities. They are experienced competitors and skilled speakers who can negotiate fair compensation.
   
  
• Many people recognize that money is not the sole measure of success. Today's young women place a high value on making an important contribution to community and society; on applying leadership to solve real-world problems; and on living a balanced life. They are well-poised to help create the new workplace paradigm, still in its infancy, that accommodates the realities of personal and family life for women and men alike.

"This is a generation of young women who have been raised to be aware of  the need to make smart decisions. They know the landscape, they know the issues, and they know what they want," said NCGS Co-Executive Director Whitney Ransome. "They recognize that they're going to have to be the managers of their own careers by negotiating on their own behalf and setting priorities in order to create a life that's meaningful and rewarding to them, that puts their values into practice."

"One of the top ways they are getting these lessons across is through mentoring programs, where girls are interacting with women who are managing careers every day," added Meg Milne Moulton, NCGS Co-Executive Director. "The school culture itself is rich with role models, whether teachers and administrators or returning alumnae. And international outreach extends this ongoing conversation literally to a global scale."

About NCGS:

NCGS is the leading expert on single-sex education for girls, representing 114 all-girl schools across the United States plus international members and affiliates in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Our member schools reflect the full diversity of today's educational landscape: private, public, and charter... day and boarding... urban, suburban and rural... big and small. In the U.S. alone, more than 48,000 girls and young women attend NCGS member schools.On the web: www.ncgs.org. Media contact: Carolyn Colletti, (978) 368-9086 or carolyncolletti@ncgs.org.