WHENNATASHALAMBWASAVICE
PRESIDENTwithaBostoninvestment
firmandexpectinghersecondchild,
sheaskedformoreflexibilitytocut
downherthree-hourdailycommute.
Herbosssaidno,soLambquitand
startedherowncompany.
In2013,sheco-foundedArjuna
Capital,awealth-managementfirm
thatinvestsincompanieswithasocial
andenvironmentalconscience.“There
aredifferentwaysthatpeoplecan
haveapositiveimpactinadditionto
earningcompetitivereturns,”Lamb
says.Committedtolevelingtheplaying
fieldforwomen,Lambhasbeena
leaderinadvancingwomen’srights
intheworkplace—mostnotably,
inaddressingthesalarydisparities
betweenmenandwomenatthe
companiesinherclients’investment
portfolios.“It’suntruetosaythatthe
genderpaygapisamyth,”shesays.
Lambhasbeeninstrumentalin
pushingsomeofthecountry’slargest
Fortune500companies—22sofar
—toexposetheirowngenderand
racialpaygapsandthencommitto
closingthem.“Whatwefindiswhen
companiesaretransparent,”shesays,
“theyactuallytakestepstoimprove
theirperformance.”Companiesmay
notwanttoadmittheyhaveracial
andgendergaps,shesays.Butthere
isanincentiveforthemtodoso.
“Closingthegenderpaygapisnot
onlytherightthingtodo,it’sgoodfor
business,”Lambsays.“Weknowfrom
thedatathathavingmorewomenand
morepeopleofcoloronteamsand
inleadershipleadstofinancialout-
performance,becausethere’sdiversity
ofthought,diversityofperspective.”
Thebenefitsofwageequalityalso
haveapositiverippleeffect.“If
womenandpeopleofcolorarepaid
fairlyfortheworkthattheydo,”
Lambsays,“itwouldbeaboonto
oureconomy,becausepeoplespend
themoneythattheymake.Ifwewait
another50or100yearstoclosethe
genderpaygap,thenwe’remissinga
hugeopportunity.”
Natasha
Lamb
Investingin
Transparency
“Closingthegenderpaygapis
notonlytherightthingtodo,
it’sgoodforbusiness.”
“Payequityhasbecomealightningrodforthechangeweneedtoseeinoursociety,”NatashaLambsays.
“Womencanrunforofficeandwin.Celebritiesandathletescanshineaspotlightontheissue.Wemaybe
livinginapatriarchy,butnowisthetimeforallwomentochallengethestatusquo.”
“It’satwo-waystreetatthemoment,asmany,manymorecompaniesaresteppinguptoencouragewomen
andcreateaninclusiveculture,”JaneFrasersays.“Butwomenalsohavetodotheirpartbygettingintothe
oftenuncomfortablezoneofraisingtheirhandsforpromotionandsteppinguptotheplate,askingforthe
flexibleprogramortheotherthingstheyneedtohaveabitofbalance.”
SPEAKUP
“Somepeoplewillbeabletofightmorethanothers,”HarrietHarmansays.“Buteveryonecansupport
womenwhoaretakingastand.You’lllookbackin50years’timeandthink:‘Goodnessme.Howeverwas
itregardedasacceptablethatmenwereinchargeandwomenweredoingtheirbidding?’”
SUPPORTTHEFIGHTFORWOMEN’SEQUALITY
CHALLENGE‘BUSINESSASUSUAL’
3
2
1
ThreeWaysToGetStarted
TowardGender-Equality
PAIDFORANDPOSTEDBY
THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 NY F5