Start Smart encourages women to reach for their $1 million

OU’s Women’s Outreach Center presented a free workshop on Tuesday. The Start Smart presentation discussed the gender wage gap and offered advice for women for overcoming pay discrepancies. The class participated in activities ranging from creating a budget to determine a minimum acceptable salary to researching the economy of their target location.

“It’s so important for women to understand that a wage gap exists so they can take steps to overcome it. Women are paid 77 cents for every $1 a man earns. A starting salary benchmarks future wages so we have to do our research and know what a job is worth before accepting an offer,” said Kathy Moxley, coordinator of the Women’s Outreach Center. Moxley said the average college woman will earn $1 million less than her male counterparts over the course of her career.

The next Start Smart class is scheduled for Tuesday, April 13 at noon in the President’s Room of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Part II of the workshop will include advice and tips for salary negotiation. The presentation is open to all students.