What problem is being addressed?

The gender pay gap.

What is their innovative solution?

• Action:
  • Many companies are promoting gender equality through hiring, pay, promotions, management and others through a cultural aspect.
  • Staq, a 40 person company that helps web publishers, achieves equality from the start, hiring employees with great problem solving skills rather than a technical programming background that generally attracts more men.
  • Other companies involve women in discussions at every level of decisions, have paid maternity leave and include more women in higher positions.
• People: These changes are possible because the CEO/Owner of the company believe in promoting equality and inclusivity.
• Resources: Raising salaries and extending family leave requires more resources to distribute across the company and employees.

How can this be applied to Meadville?

The community could hold wider discussions about gender equality, while individual businesses can take matters into their own hands and discuss it at their level of employment. Although many examples of companies introducing more equality based initiatives are tech centered, the tool and die industry can take the principles used there and input them into their own business models.