Release:
March 3, 2021

Women of NATE Today Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 3

Spring is in the air and reminds us that the world is coming alive again. Animals awaken from their long winter's nap and the earth begins to come to life. Tree buds start to emerge, the sun shines brighter and longer, and birds seem to sing us awake. And finally I am reminded that March is the month of new beginnings.

Several years ago, I was trying to find a way for my kids to be close to their great grandma, so we decided to let them help her with a garden. What I did not realize was that she was going to teach my kids so much more about life than just how to grow plants.

We started our garden with a tilled plot of land. My grandma took their hands and rubbed in the dirt, she said: “feel the earth, soft and moist. See all those worms, they have been working hard under the surface to get the ground ready for new life.” My kids loved it, they played for hours in the dirt imagining what this garden would look like.

We thought about what kinds of seeds we would plant. My grandma explained planting a seed is setting something into motion that will help you create the life you always dreamed. She described how seeds must change to grow, they take time and hard work. She taught us that a whole garden is not grown overnight.

I thought about this as it applies to my own life, every time there is a new chapter it is a new beginning. Take, for instance, a new job or a new relationship. These are new beginnings or new chapters. When I begin something new, or plant new seeds, actions are carefully put into motion. When I’ve started a new job in the past, I have had no idea what to expect. I have hoped I laid the groundwork of a solid foundation and researched or learned as much as I can to be successful. I have rubbed my hands in the soil to feel the earth and see the worms work to prepare the foundation.

Over time, I have realized that events can come along and rock my idea of how I thought things would go or should go. Weeds can overtake and suffocate the seeds. Animals can run around and graze on the fruits of my labor. Rain can pour and demolish the new plants, or a drought can ruin in an instant what I worked so hard to create. I then take those events one by one, pruning away what I cannot control and investing or nourishing the things I can. Slowly, this begins to shape the outcome of my seeds.

By watering and pruning, I am able to see growth and change. I can remove the weeds, add water as needed, prune, and shape the plants to be the healthiest they can be. I can add stakes in the ground to support the plant so it has something to lean on when it is weak. When that seed finally flowers and blooms into its very best - everyone will recognize its beauty. So it isn’t the bloom at all that we should admire. It is the seed, planted in the earth, that was set into motion and the hard work that follows, that we should admire.

My grandma taught me, by teaching my children, that the seeds we plant today will eventually turn into our tomorrows, and the energy we put into it will be evident in the bloom. My children were so proud of the harvest they produced, the work was long and hard but the reward was worth it to them. They saw the ground transform in front of their eyes and witnessed life at its best but most importantly built an unforgettable bond with their great grandma. A leader who will forever shape their life and choices.

What seeds are you planting now? How is your foundation? Who are the leaders helping shape your life and choices?

“Like a small boat On the ocean Sending big waves Into motion
Like how a single word Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion”

- Rachel Platten-Fight song

WON Profile: Lesley Liarikos

International Women's Day

International Women's Day – March 8, 2021

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality. 

Marked annually on March 8, International Women's Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to:

• celebrate women's achievements
• raise awareness about women's equality
• lobby for accelerated gender parity
• fundraise for female-focused charities

From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.

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Take Women of NATE with you!

Are you traveling for work or taking a leisure vacation? Take a creative photo holding a Women of NATE (WON) logo in front of a landmark that lets us know where you are. 

Upcoming Events

To stay apprised of recent event updates and to view the most comprehensive events listing visit the NATE WIN (Wireless Industry Network) website at www.natewin.org. 

Recent Event Highlights

Future Women of NATE

Mind the Gap: The Gender Gap in the Labor Force

Do women need to have more education to receive the same pay as men? According to new research from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, women earn less than men—even when taking into account their educational attainment. In particular, women need to earn at least one degree higher than men to receive the same earnings.

In fact, mounting evidence shows that high academic achievement does not help women in the job market. One study found that high-achieving male job applicants received calls for interviews twice as often as similarly high-achieving female applicants. The ratio increased three-to-one for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs.

These findings are consistent with an RTI-conducted National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report that followed a cohort of 2002 high school sophomores up to 2012 when most participants were 26 years old, had completed some postsecondary education, and had entered the labor force. The infographic shows that although women are making strides in education—surpassing men in bachelor’s and advanced degree attainment—these gains are not equally translated into their labor force outcomes when compared with men’s. As researchers, we find these gaps troubling. The data lead us to ask some tough questions:

·         Why are women (1) less likely to be employed than men and (2) more likely to be employed only part time?

·         Why are women earning less than men? This happens even though men and women work in the same occupational fields; in the same geographic location; and with similar academic achievement, work intensity, and family lives.

·         Can the educational system prepare women to better transition their educational achievements into workforce achievements?

·         Is the pay gap indicative of gender discrimination in the job market or in the larger society?

Head of the Class: Women Outperform Men in Postsecondary Achievements

According to the NCES report, women are enrolling in postsecondary education and achieving bachelor’s and advanced degrees at higher rates than men. Among the 2002 high school sophomore cohort, more female than male students (88% versus 80%) had enrolled in postsecondary education by 2012. Among these enrollees, more female than male students had earned a postsecondary credential (79% versus 72%), particularly a master’s or another advanced degree (9% versus 6%), by 2012. Despite outperforming men in postsecondary education, women have not been able to transition this success from the classroom to the labor market.

Labor Force Results

The NCES report found that in 2012, female respondents were (1) less likely to be employed than male respondents and (2) more likely to be employed part time or to be out of the labor force. In addition, 24% of women reported receiving public assistance for the previous year, compared to only 14% of men.

Additionally, the report found that women, despite attaining higher levels of education, earned less than men. In 2012, women’s median hourly wage was $14, compared with $15 for men. The gender gap in earnings remained, and even increased, after controlling for respondents’ demographic backgrounds; academic characteristics; current enrollment status; family lives (e.g., martial and parenthood statuses); and job-related factors (e.g., occupation fields, work intensity, and geographic location). Controlling for these factors, hourly wages were $16 for women and $18 for men. In other words, women earn around $2 per hour less than men who have the same level of education, work in the same occupational field in the same geographic area, and have the same marital status and number of children.

Many people explain the gender gap by pointing to factors such as maternity leave; taking time off from work to care for children or aging and sick family members; and women’s traditional preference towards jobs in lower-paying fields, like education and social work. The findings from this study indicate that there is more to the story—even when controlling for these and other factors, women are still earning less than men in the same industry.

The evidence suggests that more education alone is not the solution to close the gender gap in earnings. We have an opportunity to engage in an open discussion about making changes in legislation—supporting increased maternity and paternity leave, promoting wage transparency, or preventing employers from using salary history to determine wages—as well as changes in society. We need to find out why women aren’t going after the highest-paying jobs within an occupational field—why there are more female nurses than female doctors, more female workers than female CEOs, or more female paralegals than female lawyers—and use that information to narrow the gender gap for good.

About the Author:

Xianglei Chen is a Senior Research Associate at RTI International. Chen earned her PhD in Educational Policy Analysis at the University of Michigan in 1995. You can find Chen on Twitter @XiangleiChen.

Please send recipes with photos to Nikki Gronau at nikki@natehome.com.