Globally, only 29% of women hold leadership positions at work.

On average, American working women are paid 82 cents for every dollar that working men make in the US.

In terms of ethnicity, there is a significant gap between the wages earned by women, with Latinas making the least: 55 cents for every dollar made by white, non-Hispanic men.

One of the factors that keep women from obtaining leadership positions is the lack of negotiation skills, which are crucial because they’re the ones that allow 60% of agreements in the workforce that enable employees to have a better salary and get a better position. 

Recent studies showed that the lack of these skills is not a problem directly related to women. It is a social problem that has existed for a long time and has continued to cause stereotypes and labels that position women as weak and vulnerable when negotiating. It also has harmed the development of women in today’s society. 

Another factor necessary to mention is the gender and ethnic gaps that prevent women from getting better opportunities. And although little by little companies are working on it, these are problems that continue to cause inequality and discrimination.

How can we change this situation as a community? While there are many places that have implemented strategies to empower women by teaching them negotiation skills, there is still a need to implement strategies to re-educate society and to eliminate these stereotypes that rather than contributing something, only hurt society and generate gaps that sadly will continue to exist in upcoming generations. 

At Mentor Rocket, we seek to empower young girls with skills that will allow them to know how to negotiate in any situation they face in their lives. For example, they must know when and how to negotiate a salary increase. It is not enough to say how much they have worked or for how long they have been in the company, they must know what arguments to put forward showing positive results for the negotiation to be successful. Because just like men, they deserve to have better opportunities and grow personally and professionally.