How careers in STEM can close the wage gap for women

April 12 was recognized as Equal Pay Day. Nationally, businesses offered discounts of 21% to women and women's advocates. Both the number 21 percent and the date April 12 are symbolic of the gap between men's and women's wages: Women working full time in the U.S. only made 79 cents for every dollar a man made in 2015.

Twenty-one cents doesn't sound like much, yet if you do the math, this means women would have to work over three months extra each year to close the gap.

We know that time does not expand and the impact, over time, is worse than we can imagine.

According to a recent study by the National Women's Law Center, over a 40-year career span, women earn more than $400,000 less than their male counterparts. With a life span of more than five years than that of males, imagine the impact in their ability to self-support with less income and retirement funds.

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The wage gap is not a universal 21%. Louisiana has the largest gap (35 cents) and Washington, D.C., the smallest (10 cents).

According to a recently released study by the National Partnership for Women and Families, women in New Hampshire earn 76% of the amount men earn, giving New Hampshire the distinction of having the largest pay gap in New England, compared to Maine (21 cents) Massachusetts and Rhode Island (18 cents) and Vermont (16 cents).

The New York Times investigated the discrepancies in jobs requiring similar education and responsibility divided by gender.

"The median earnings of information technology managers (mostly men) are 27% higher than human resources managers (mostly women), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

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 At the other end of the wage spectrum, janitors (usually men) earn 22% more than maids and housecleaners (usually women)."

What is the solution? This topic has been discussed for decades.

Smart women are asking questions. They research positions, they assess the pay scale for the job, they go into interviews with expectations and they ask for raises for jobs well done.

Millennials, faced with student loans, are being selective about the jobs they choose. They are data savvy, not only researching the culture of organizations on Glass Door before they apply; they also search compensation and other benefits that contribute to work/life balance.

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Younger employees are drawn to innovative organizations. Big data and technology advances are going to affect every industry.

Is it possible that careers in STEM will close the gap?

Being tech savvy has a positive effect on women's career prospects.

Women in STEM, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics earn 33% more than those in non-STEM occupations and experience a smaller wage gap relative to men.

Personally, I would add sales, technology sales, and a career that provided support, unlimited earning potential and flexibility in my own life.

STEM is not about coding, it's about having computers in classrooms, exposing children to technology at an early age.

Instead of talking about this topic, why not have the conversations that provide solutions, solutions that might possibly close the gap?

Over the past year, a small group of less than 50 women met for lunch and discussed this very issue.

Within two hours together we launchedTechWomen|TechGirls, a forum focused on building a strong community of women enthusiastic about technology and supporting efforts where girls are exploring STEM as a career or area of study.

TechWomen|TechGirls offers programs for professional women to connect, educate, and explore ideas around career development, technology initiatives and innovation.

Its community also deploys volunteers and mentors to support academic STEM initiatives and events for girls happening all over New Hampshire. Over the past 12 months, together we have launched a Power Breakfast, a school ambassador series and Girls Technology Day.

A subset of the New Hampshire High Tech Council, this program provides sponsorships for girls and college students to attend their TechWomen|TechGirls Power Breakfast to gain exposure to careers and to network with technology organizations.

It started with a group of women talking about STEM. If it can start here, it can start anywhere.

What could you get started? Keep the conversations going; it will be worth more than a one-day-only 21%percent discount for young woman everywhere.

Debora J. McLaughlin is author of “The Renegade Leader: 9 Success Strategies Driven Leaders Use to Ignite People, Performance & Profits” and “Running in High Heels, How to Lead with Influence, Impact & Ingenuity.” CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching & Consulting Group, she and her team unleash performance, positivity and possibility in individuals, teams and organizations.