It’s Women’s History Month, and we thought we’d bring you some voices of Alabama women who are shaking things up. Momentum is a women’s leadership program in Birmingham. WBHM’s Gigi Douban spoke with Joy Carter of Momentum and communications manager at Alabama Cast Iron Pipe Company. They chat about the things working women struggle with most.
Here are some highlights:
Alabama Ranks 39th on Pay Equity
Not surprising. Right now women make on average 80 cents on the dollar for every dollar that a man makes. So equity means 100 percent equity which means you know if we want the same amount of pay for the same job and I’m that our male counterparts are doing and that pay gap is even wider if you’re taking into account minority women.
Advice to Young Women on Success
Networking, networking, networking. The other thing I would say is find that mentor who is going to have your best interests and who is going to help you connect those dots.
Barriers Keeping Women From Corporate Boards and in State Legislatures
We have to have men who are in those posts, who are in those executive positions, who are mentoring, counseling, bringing along women.
I think as women are making those career advancements, we have to pull young women with us. And then finally I think we have to advocate for ourselves.
Mid-Career Women as Mentors
Particularly for women who are trying to compete in that man’s world, they’re just trying to compete in that world themselves. But it’s important and it’s one of the things that Momentum stresses. And after completing the program, it’s very intentional that they ask participants of the program back in.
Women in ACIPCO History
It was actually Charlotte Blair who conceived of the company and she with her brother recruited the initial investors, of which John Egan was one. She was also the first woman to serve on a corporate board here in Alabama. And we don’t even know a lot about her. There’s not a lot known about her outside of outside of starting the company and retiring from there.