Perspectives

The glass ceiling as a discriminatory phenomenon has pervaded almost every professional field, and the nonprofit sector has not been immune. In 2013, across all fields and sectors, working women earned 78% of their male counterparts’ salaries, according to the American Association of University Women. This gap has not shifted in over a decade, even as more women continue to enter the workforce. The gap increases for older women and women of color. Some occupations which tend to attract women, such as teaching, have always harbored lower salaries, but women are found to be paid less regardless of job choice and across gender-neutral and male-dominated fields.