Wake County's commitment to closing the gender wage gap took center stage during a recent government meeting, where officials discussed the future of the Wake Invest in Women program. Donya Perry from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Carrie Bartek from Wake Tech highlighted the initiative's significant impact on promoting women's representation in STEM fields and addressing wage disparities.

The Wake Invest in Women program, launched in 2018, aims to tackle the gender wage gap in Wake County, which currently stands at 75% compared to men's earnings, significantly lower than the 85% in neighboring Mecklenburg County. The program focuses on three key pillars: closing the wage gap, increasing women's advancement in management roles, and boosting female representation in high-demand fields.

Bartek noted that the initiative has successfully expanded partnerships from 15 to over 30 employers and has engaged nearly 200 Wake Tech students in a mentoring program. Despite these advancements, both Perry and Bartek acknowledged that more work is needed to sustain and enhance the program's impact.

Looking ahead, the Wake Invest in Women program will transition to the Office of DEI, which was established in 2022. This move aims to ensure the program's long-term sustainability and operational synergy with existing DEI initiatives. The next steps include formalizing a memorandum of understanding with Wake Tech and continuing to solicit input from key stakeholders to refine the program's strategies.

As Wake County strives to create a more equitable workforce, the discussions at this meeting underscore the importance of ongoing collaboration and strategic planning to close the gender wage gap and empower women in the community.