Experts say working women need to demand their due

NEW YORK -- Executive coach Mary Genkins was working with a young woman who was soon to go before her boss for a year-end evaluation.

She was prepared to talk about the projects she had completed and all the new clients she attracted. But there was nothing on her list about a raise or a bonus.

"I said, 'You can't go in like that,"' Genkins said. "You have to decide what you want. You're the one who has to take care of you."

The young executive did bring up compensation and did get a good raise, Genkins said.

There's no question that women typically earn less than men. According to Census Bureau figures released earlier this year, women are paid just 73 cents for every dollar men get. A growing number of experts like Genkins believe that women would do better financially if they began demanding what they believe they're due.

"Women are not great negotiators," Genkins said. "We tend to think that if we do good work, we'll get rewarded. We're uncomfortable about advocating for ourselves. We tend to accept 'no' as 'no.' Men don't."

Barbara Stanny, a motivational speaker from Port Townsend, Wash., said her reason for researching the newly published book "Secrets of Six-Figure Women" was to find out how some women bridge the wage gap.

She found that about 860,000 American women earn $100,000 a year or more -- compared with about 4.5 million men. About half the high-income women were self-employed, Stanny added.

Whether independent or part of a company, those who earned six figures had similar strategies, she said. They made a commitment to raise their income. They were open to opportunities, even in new professions. They were willing to risk taking on projects they weren't sure they could do.

"Women tend to give away their skills for free or at bargain prices," Stanny said. "Women have to learn to speak up and ask for what they want. If they don't get it, they have to be willing to walk."

Women tend to cluster in lower-paying jobs, such as teaching and nursing. They often leave the work force to raise children, reducing their chances for promotion. They face gender discrimination.

Women also continue to be underrepresented in corporate hierarchies, and that holds down their income, said Marcia Kropf, vice president for research and information services at Catalyst, a New York women's advocacy group.

A big barrier, Kropf said, is that women generally aren't a part of the informal networks that men use to advance.

"A young man goes golfing with seniors in the company. He's invited to the bar after work. He can approach someone and say, 'I've been offered this job, what should I ask for?"' Kropf said. "Women don't have access to that network."

Still, she said, women do have alternatives:

Research what average salaries are in various fields or for various positions.

Join organizations.

Find a mentor.