Minding the Gender Pay Gap
The Rosin Box Project’s rehearsing Duets premiere by FLOCK, Alice Klock and Florian Lochner
Photo by Amber Bliss
February 19th: Bethany Arts Community Residency Emerging Artist Fellowship, February 19th: Dancers' Group, February 21st: Making It Public for Massachusetts Artists, February 28th: National Dance Project Travel Fund, March 1st: New England States Touring (NEST 1 and 2), March 1st: Aimed Dance Summer Fest: Internship & Workstudy Scholarships, March 1st: Brabson Family Foundation, March 3rd: Culver City Artist Laureate Program, March 10th: CALT Folk and Traditional Arts Experiences, March 17th: Residency at Sitka, March 19th: Walking Together, March 31st: SIA Foundation Grants, April 1st: Harkness Foundation for Dance Grant Proposal, April 1st: The Democracy Cycle, April 10th: Amplifi Napa Valley - Emerging Artists Grant, April 30th: South Arts: Professional Development & Artistic Planning Grants, April 30th: Oconee Performing Arts Society, May 1st: Small Plates Choreography Festival, July 31st: Community Engagement Artists and Creatives Grant, September 16th: The Awesome Foundation Micro Grants, September 30th: New England Presenter Travel Fund, September 30th: Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Scholarship, September 30th: 24 Seven Dance Convention, September 30th: National Theater Project Presenter Travel Grant
×The Gender Pay Gap is the disparity between salaries for men and women. This issue is widespread and persists even when controlling for factors like experience, industry, and job level. Take a look at the facts and figures to learn more about the severity of this issue in every field.
In 2024, women make 83 cents for every dollar that men make. The gap is often worse for women of color:
The gender pay gap also varies by state, with the narrowest gaps being in New York (89%) and California (88%) and the widest gaps being in Louisiana (70%), Utah (70%), and West Virginia (72%). Zooming in on the arts, we see that women make $20,000 less annually than their male counterparts, according to the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP). (National Partnership for Women & Families Fact Sheet) (Payscale).
It is important to note that women aren’t the only ones negatively affected by the gap – when women enter a male-dominated field, wages tend to go down, even for men.
The consequences of the pay gap are such that women’s ability to attain long-term economic stability, earning potential overtime, economic mobility, and more is severely limited.
There are many ways to get involved in efforts to eliminate the gender pay gap. Write to your Members of Congress (MOCs) and encourage them to support legislative efforts related to pay equity – be aware of relevant legislation and advocacy that may accredit your assertions:
It is also crucial to talk to your peers about the gender pay gap. Efforts like this to bolster discourse are the first step in raising awareness of the reality of pay discrepancies. You can also support organizations like the Dance Data Project® who are advocating for closing the pay gap. Visit the DDP Resources page to learn more about organizations and studies that are keeping us informed and reinvigorating the essential dialogue surrounding this issue.