Leveling the playing field for female professionals is the driving force behind University of Arizona professor Dr. Mary Rigdon's research, which aims to upend longstanding systems within the business world that disadvantage women. Dr. Rigdon, in an interview with ABC15, pointed out that societal constructs and business practices continue to leave women lagging behind, especially in senior management positions in finance where despite making up half of the entry-level workforce in the U.S., only 6% land top roles.
Highlighting the financial hit from gender inequality, Dr. Rigdon argues we’re all paying a price, with studies estimating that closing the racial pay gap would require $1.5 trillion over a decade, in a statement obtained by ABC15. In a separate article by the University of Arizona, Dr. Rigdon explains that the research she conducted alongside Professor Alessandra Cassar at the University of San Francisco sheds light on the essence of gender competitiveness, unveiling that women have different motivations for competing, often influenced by the potential for shared winnings or social incentives.
With data that casts doubt on the belief that women are inherently less competitive than men, Dr. Rigdon's work suggests the system, not women’s behavior needs to change, such a shift could leverage the unique competencies women bring forth in the work environment. Dr. Rigdon underscores a striking figure: white women earn $0.83 for every dollar their male counterparts pocket, with more stark disparities for women of color, the University of Arizona report reveals.
Armed with her research findings, Dr. Rigdon took the stage at the South by Southwest festival's Arizona Wonder House to rally entrepreneurs and policy influencers for substantial change, advocating for systemic shifts that elevate women's standings in the workplace, she told the University of Arizona. Dr. Rigdon's clarion call at the event simplifies the complex fight for gender equity to a challenging yet imperative task: We need to alter the system, and it's a move that could redefine the professional landscape for countless women who have been shortchanged for too long by outdated metrics of valuation.
