“I asked to be paid fairly and I was fired.”

Six years ago, I found out that I was being underpaid in comparison to my male colleagues. I asked to be paid fairly and I was fired!

In 21^st century, women are still paid less than men. On average, women earn 82 cents for every dollar paid to men. But the gap is much wider for women of color. Black women make just 62 cents, Native American women 57 cents, and Latinas 54 cents for every dollar paid to white men.

The gender gap pay is a global problem. The map below highlights this gender pay gap across countries.

However, being underpaid does not automatically make you a victim. It is an alert to stop being one. Most women who have discovered unequal pay have stood up for themselves, paving way for other women in their company. Thus, women have to keep asking for fair pay. Why? Because men do not hesitate to ask.

In these unprecedented times, we have an opportunity to rethink and rebuild the systems that keep women from achieving economic security and success. Together, we can demand equity and respect for every woman moving forward — regardless of her job or her zip code — and finally make the pay gap a thing of the past.