We’ve made progress, but women are still making considerably less than their male counterparts. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2024, women earned an average of 85 percent of what men earned, a rise of just four percent since 2003.

Why? Well, there are a lot of contributing factors, but the main ones are that women are more likely than men to take time off. In fact, 69 percent of women have taken a break at some point in their career due to burnout, caregiving responsibilities or pursuing educational opportunities.

The cost can be significant. A five-year break can result in 19 percent less income for a woman over the course of her working life. The wage gap compounds quietly over decades, creating invisible gaps in earnings and retirement savings. Longevity means stretching resources even further, often with less margin for error. There aren’t exceptions; these are common experiences.

Statistically, women juggle much more than their male counterparts. But the real barrier for women isn’t the need for flexibility; it’s the inability to point out our value and ask for what we need.

Socialized to stay silent

Women learn early – often unconsciously – that wanting ease is indulgent, that asking for more is risky, that stability is something you earn by tolerating discomfort. So we comply. We push through. We normalize stress. And we call it responsibility. Over time, fear becomes background noise. We confuse busyness with progress. We accept arrangements that drain us because they look stable on paper.

I bought into these myths. I was good at my job, and I met expectations every time. But the true cost of my earning structure wasn’t visible on my payment or performance review. It showed up at home, in missed moments. It showed up in a version of me that was too tired and a little too stretched. I wasn’t choosing how I earned money; I was tolerating it.

Let me be clear, there’s nothing wrong with being successful and wanting to make money. But earning isn’t just about the number deposited into your account. It’s about what that number costs you – and what it enables. If the way you earn is quietly undermining your health, relationships or your sense of agency, it’s an issue you can no longer ignore.

What women want

We live in a world that tells us the solution is always more. Another credential, responsibility or side hustle layered into an already full life. But for many women, the deeper fear isn’t, “Can I earn more?” It’s what happens when I disrupt what feels stable.

For many women, that fear becomes sharper when caregiving enters the picture, healthcare shifts or the economy feels uncertain. It can feel safer to cling to a single role or income stream, even when it no longer serves us well. Security gets outsourced to one employer, one business model, one path. And that’s a fragile place to stand.

Women wear a lot of hats. And that contributes to the wage gap. But what if, instead of chasing the same financial goals as our male counterparts, we reframed work and earning money as a practice grounded in value, leverage and autonomy?

Here are three steps to adopting a new, unapologetic approach for identifying and asking for what you want:

1. Get clear on the value you create

Stop defining your worth by hours, effort or job descriptions. Start naming outcomes, including problems solved, time saved, stability created and revenue generated. This matters inside organizations just as much as it does in business ownership. When you can articulate your impact, you change how you advocate for yourself.

2. Stop putting all your eggs in one basket

Reduce single-point dependency. This doesn’t always mean creating a new revenue stream, although it can. Sometimes it means developing new skills that you can leverage or negotiating flexibility instead of compensation. The key here is to create resilience without draining yourself. The goal isn’t exhaustion, it’s opportunity.

3. Approach negotiation as alignment, not confrontation

Preparation replaces fear. Evidence replaces apologies. Whether you’re discussing compensation, scope, flexibility or pricing, the goal isn’t to demand – it’s to present a clear case for mutual value. Negotiation becomes a conversation about sustainability, not self-worth.

The way forward

Over time, aligned earning becomes a habit. If you follow these steps, you’ll start evaluating decisions through a different lens. Does this opportunity support the life I’m building? Does this structure honor my capacity? Does this income source create stability – or quietly erode it?

The reality is that women face different challenges at work, but it shouldn’t result in lower pay if you can prove your value. By reframing your approach to money and asking for what you need, you’ll create enough stability and space to live your life with intention.

Opinions expressed by The CEO Magazine contributors are their own.