By Dennis Richmond, Jr.
For decades, girls were told a simple promise: work hard in school, earn a degree, and success will follow. Today, women are keeping their end of that promise. Across the United States, women now earn the majority of college degrees. In fact, women receive more bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees than men. Classrooms across America are full of young women preparing to lead in medicine, business, education, technology, and law.
But when graduation caps come off and paychecks start coming in, the reality looks different: if women are earning more degrees, why are they still earning less money?
The gender pay gap is not new, but it continues to shape the financial lives of millions of women, especially Black women. On average, women in the United States still earn less than men for similar work. Black women and Latina women often earn significantly less than white men in the same workforce. For many young women entering the job market today, this reality feels confusing and unfair.
Gen Z is a generation that pays attention to numbers. They track student loans, cost of living, rent, and starting salaries. Many young women are graduating with impressive résumés, leadership experience, and strong academic records. Even so, they enter workplaces where pay transparency is limited and negotiation rules seem unclear.
History helps explain why this gap still exists. For much of American history, women were excluded from many professions and leadership roles. Even after women entered the workforce in larger numbers, they were often pushed into lower-paying careers. While laws have changed and opportunities have expanded, the economic structures built decades ago have not disappeared overnight.
But Gen Z is not a generation that sits down and accepts the status quo. Young women today are asking harder questions about salary transparency, workplace equity, and corporate accountability. Social media has made it easier than ever for workers to compare salaries, share experiences, and challenge unfair treatment.
Women’s History Month is often a time to celebrate pioneers who fought for voting rights, education, and equal opportunity. Those victories matter. But the next chapter of women’s history is being written right now — in offices, classrooms, and across social media — by a generation of women demanding that equal education finally leads to equal pay.
Dennis Richmond, Jr. (@NewYorkStakz) is a journalist, historian, and educator from Yonkers, NY. He writes to uplift unheard voices, honor history, and inspire change.
