The New York Times - 19.09.2019

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’

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ThreeWaysToGetStarted

TowardGender-Equality

PAIDFORANDPOSTEDBY

THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 NY F5