Nicki Minaj: how women can make more money
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Multi-millionaire rapper Nicki Minaj has spoken out strongly for the right of women to be paid their worth, offering a glimpse of a society in which we may one day live.
In the US, women reportedly earn 22 per cent less than men overall. In Australia, the gender pay gap is just under 19 per cent.
On the topic of money, the singer advised her female audience to fight fiercely for their pay.
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Minaj wants women to break a money ‘taboo’. Photo: Getty
“I’ve always been pretty competitive in terms of my pay,” Minaj recently told Cosmopolitan magazine.
To boost their incomes, women should swap information with fellow employees (presumably their female colleagues), she said.
“I know it’s taboo to discuss it at work,” she said.
“Technically, you shouldn’t, but you need to know what people around you are making. Otherwise, you’re not going to know what you’re worth.
“You have to ask questions. ‘What is this person getting?’ Do your research.”
This kind of covert pay comparison would come in handy during a negotiation with an employer. Using a bit of Minaj-style assertiveness during a well-researched negotiation can result in higher pay, an expert confirmed.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” Workplace Gender Equality Agency executive research manager Dr Carla Harris told The New Daily.
What society could look like
In an ideal world, a woman using Minaj’s tactics would be viewed as showing leadership and demanding what she deserved.
Perhaps, in the glitzy world of rap, where many African-American women like Minaj have battled their way up from poverty to global superstar status, women are treated this way.
Sadly, in broader society, female employees who are assertive may get a pay rise, but lose respect.
“When women do ask for more money, regardless of the outcome, they are viewed as being pushy or aggressive or overly assertive, and that backlash has negative consequences further down in your career,” Dr Harris said.
“The gender stereotypes quite tightly held in our society make that simple notion of standing up and asking quite difficult.
“We’re not saying you shouldn’t stand up, ask, negotiate and put yourself forward, but you have to be aware of that stereotype.”
Ask this of your boss
Rehearse like a rap star, says expert. Photo: Getty
“Have you done a pay gap analysis?”
That is an important first question any woman seeking pay equality should put to their employer, Dr Harris said.
Pushing for this analysis can prompt an employer to make changes of their own accord, especially if the results are embarrassing.
“Often, employers think they are paying their employees fairly, but gender bias creeps in over time.”
Thwart the backlash
Knowing that assertiveness carries risks, women must prepare for this, Dr Harris said.
“It is important to be aware the stereotypes and the backlash effect that can occur so you can make sure you are as prepared as possible, and therefore get the best outcome you can get.”
As Minaj advised, research is also crucial.
“Look at salary surveys and job ads. That way, you’ll know where to position yourself so that you come across as being well informed.”
And like any rapper or pop star, practice makes perfect. Prepare meticulously for your upcoming pay negotiation.
“If you were a singer, if you were Nicki Minaj, you wouldn’t get up on stage and perform without rehearsing.”
‘Don’t be so naïve’
Another expert was more critical of Minaj’s comments. Simply asking for more money will not narrow the gender pay gap, and to say so is “naïve”, said the advocate for female retirees.
“Research shows that asking for more pay, even if armed with evidence based rates of pay for your role, will not narrow the gender pay gap. Only structural reform will do so,” Women in Super national chair Cate Wood told The New Daily.
These systemic issues have built up over decades and decades and are proving difficult to change, Ms Wood said. And even if pay parity is achieved, women would still suffer in retirement.
“We need to develop a way of compensating, not penalising, those who take career breaks – men or women – to care for children, sick partners or elderly parents.”