Time and time again research proves what we already know: women face more obstacles than men when it comes to negotiating, be they internal, self-imposed barriers, socially-conditioned norms, or external biases and stereotypes.

A study by Glassdoor found that 3 in 5 women say they’ve never negotiated salary. The same study found that men initiate negotiations about 4 times more often than women and that 72% of women would rather switch jobs to get a pay raise than negotiate with their current employer.

Our reluctance to invest impacts our financial futures. The severity of the investing gap compounded by the gender wage gap (women make 82 cents for every dollar earned by men in the best case scenario and that number goes down for most minority women), leads to women only realizing retirement balances that are half the size of men’s, according to data from the Vanguard Center for Investor Research.

According to personal finance site NerdWallet, only 38% of recent graduates negotiate their salary upon receiving a job offer. A lot of recent graduates or entry level associates mistakenly think that they have little to no negotiating power. As our negotiation expert Courtney Chicvak says, negotiating for yourself is crucial even at an entry level, not just in terms of getting more for yourself, but also in demonstrating your potential to employers and showing them you are an able negotiator and confident in your skillset. In fact, in the same study by NerdWallet, of the 700 employers in the study, almost 90% of them said an entry-level candidate would not be putting their job offer at risk by negotiating their salary.

We sat down with Courtney Chicvak, a professional mediator and WIN negotiation coach, and asked her our most burning questions on how to tackle our first salary negotiation:

You do all sorts of negotiating in your daily life, whether you know it or not. If you have a spouse or partner, you might negotiate what to have for dinner. If you have children, you might negotiate certain aspects of their schedule (or what they eat). And if you have employees, you probably negotiate (on hopefully friendly terms) when they can have time off).

But when it comes to contracts, it can be more difficult to figure out what you can or want to negotiate on, especially as the stakes get bigger and the financial impact becomes greater. If the length of time on a contract also is an issue, you may find yourself spending more time with the negotiation phase than you planned. So what do you need to understand when it comes to negotiation of a contract, and what options do you have (or not have)? This graphic explains it.

Bold change takes bold action. Nobody knows this better than Reshma Sajuani, CEO and Founder of Girls Who Code, the international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. Less than two months ago Reshma introduced The Marshall Plan for Moms to bring about a paradigm shift around how this country relates to mothers and finally compensate mothers for their unseen, unpaid labor and all they do to keep our society well. Reshma is boldly #choosing to challenge, and she is inviting us all to challenge right along with her. WIN is grateful to have had the opportunity to interview Reshma about the Marshall Plan for Moms. Read on for our top questions asked and answered!

The ubiquity of gender inequality is fueled by unconscious and systemic biases that hinder women’s success in the workplace. Although today’s circumstances are vastly different than those ten years ago —largely thanks to the reckoning that came in the last few years thanks to the ME TOO movement— there still are countless obstacles women (especially women of color) have to overcome in order to succeed in the workplace.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of articles about how men can be better allies for women in the workplace. And they should be. To create a more inclusive and engaging workplace, having male colleagues back up women helps enable change. Including men in the discussions around gender equity makes diversity and inclusion efforts more successful. But allyship requires intersectional efforts. When discussing diversity and inclusion, all women’s voices should be amplified.

It is widely known that women, and especially women of color, face countless challenges in the workplace.

Every year reports like Lean In & McKinsey’s “Women in the Workplace,” PwC’s “Women in Work,” and WEF’s “Global Gender Gap Report” study the state of women in the corporate world. Many argue that the mere fact that these reports exist is a good indicator of the changing of the tides for gender inequality in the workplace (the first step towards change is awareness of the problem, right?).

Although Black History Month is almost over, educating yourself and celebrating the wins of Black women is an ongoing practice. It is so important to honor and recognize Black women that have been overlooked by our history books (check out “Black Women I Wished I Learned About in History Class”), but it is equally important to celebrate women that are making a difference —and making history— today.

Here are just a few of the many Black women making history in 2021, pushing back against systemic racism, uplifting, and empowering an entire generation.

Relationships are proven to affect one's mental and physical wellbeing. A study by Cecile Andrews and her team looked at the importance of forging connections to others and its impact on our health. They concluded, as many others have, that strong relationships lead to stronger health.

Health and wellness are important to us at WIN. Today, in a pandemic-torn world, it’s also important to remember that, “Strong, healthy relationships can also help to strengthen your immune system, help you recover from disease, and may even lengthen your life” (Better Health Institute of Australia). It’s more important than ever to work on the health of our relationships.

Research actually shows that there are immense benefits for both the individual and the organization when women support other women. A study by Kellogg School of Management discovered that the most successful women depended on —in addition to the wide network men also depended on— a close inner circle of women that provided a support system.

Kerry Glanz signed up to attend the December 2020 WIN Summit on a whim. A post popped up on her LinkedIn account about our event and she thought “what do I have to lose?” As it turned out, attending the summit turned out to be a great decision. Join in her experience as she shares with you her top three takeaways from the day.

Men and women’s reactions are not held to the same standards. Why is ambition in men rewarded, but in women reprimanded? Why is ‘ambitious’ conflated with words like bossy, pushy, excessively self-assertive when applied to women? Here, we break down the differences, and what you can do to overcome the perceptions that hold women back in the workplace.

Extreme pressures on women and increased uncertainties are driving the need for new solutions, new structures, and new leadership skills.

For the first time ever, WIN Summit 2020 will be hosted virtually. Traditionally, our summit has been held each year in New York City. Women came together over the course of a single day to learn how to elicit strategic information in a negotiation, counteract bias, and learn how to leverage their power and bargaining position.

We’re bringing our unique workshops and panels with practical, yet powerful strategies to the digital stage. This year’s summit will center around three themes: negotiation, diversity, and leadership. Led by renowned professors, distinguished thought leaders, and top industry leaders, we’re bringing together inspirational women for powerful discussions and lessons.

Aspire for more, step into your power, and embrace the future as women lead the way. Join us this Tuesday, December 8, 2020.

One of the exciting and also terrifying things about being a parent is the knowledge that how you raise your children will directly impact their success and their happiness in life. As the mother of three little girls ages 7, 4, and 3 months, and someone who gets to spend most of her days thinking about how to help more women feel empowered through my work with WIN, I feel particularly invested in this topic.

WIN Summit will be hosted virtually this year. That means, more women will be able to access the power of negotiation and leadership training than ever before! In case you need more convincing as to why you should attend WIN Summit 2020: Women Lead the Way, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 reasons you should join us.

Latina women are estimated to lose $1,163,920 over the course of a 40-year career. This means they will have to work until the age of 92 in order to earn what her white male peer earned by age 60.

We wanted to know more about the causes of this discrimination, and what Latina women can do to combat bias in the workplace. We invited 4 compelling female-founders to discuss the wage gap and how Latinas can fight for equal pay in the workplace and help narrow the wage gap. Because fifty-five cents just isn’t enough.

It’s safe to say few of us probably slept soundly these last few days... whether glued to the news or just having fitful dreams like myself, all of us are understandably anxiously wondering what will tomorrow bring? What will the next four years bring?

Many of us are struggling with feelings of impending doom, struggling to find hope during a very dark and uncertain time. During these days when just getting out of bed can feel like a win, it’s important to acknowledge the negotiations we are having with ourselves all day long.

In honor of election week, let’s go back in time and take a look at the female leaders who have played crucial roles in furthering social, gender, and economic justice. Such women – whether widely known or less known -- were bold and daring enough to challenge conventional views and perspectives. They serve as agents of change and should inspire us to persevere in the fight against different types of social injustices.

Here we highlight 10 women who have championed the social justice cause and whose leadership has influenced American politics.

The statistics show that many women dread to negotiate. In honor of the “spookiest” night of the year, we dedicated this week’s WIN article to decoding or “unmasking” if you will, the three top fears that you may have around negotiation and then we give you three tips for what you can do to fight those ghouls off!