Plano de Menina (Girl’s Plan) is a social initiative which aims to give voice to underprivileged girls living throughout Brazil and offers courses and workshops on financial education, entrepreneurship, career building, self-esteem, law, citizenship, and other subjects. Just recently, the project has launched its #EqualPay initiative, which was developed in partnership with creative agency BETC/Havas. The goal of the project is to call on public institutions, employers, and pretty much everyone to think more about women’s position in the business world and reflect upon their salaries. Are they paid as much as men are?
Not in Brazil. Women there are paid on average 70% of what men get paid. This means that while the ladies receive 30% less, they keep paying the same taxes and contributions. The issue remains visible not only in Brazil but also worldwide, where women’s salaries are 23% lower than those of men. In art, for example, female artists are paid 47% less than their male counterparts. And the sports industry is no different. But if you don’t trust numbers, just look at women’s jeans pockets, which are 48% smaller than men’s ones. This serves as a declaration that women should be paid less than men.
That being said, there are situations in which women earn the same as men. But there’s a twist. They have to start their professional life ten years earlier. To highlight this unfairness, Plano de Menina “hired” a 10-year-old teenager Heloisa Teodoro to raise awareness about this social issue. But how can a child make things right? You invite her to a job interview! Yes, that’s right. Heloisa wants to earn as much as men do, so she started looking for a job at the age of 10.
During the campaign, the little girl is having a chat via Skype with a series of recruiters. But the recruiters are left speechless when they spot the youngster for the first time. A kid? And looking for a job? Doesn’t she have parents to financially support her? Yes, she has, but she has to work a lot if she wants to be treated equally.
Heliosa is just one of the girls who are part of the #EqualPay movement, which was cleverly put together to secure the same rights and equal pay for women. The initiative invites Brazilians to unite and make such future tangible so that ladies across the large country can enter the job market at the right age while getting paid and having the same opportunities as men have.
When speaking about the project, Viviane Duarte, founder of Plano de Menina—which is becoming an Institute this month—described the reasons behind it: “We began the #EqualPay movement with thousands of girls who are part of our project, calling on all girls and the adults responsible for them, throughout Brazil, to join us in our struggle for change and a future where women have the same opportunities as men. Plano de Menina prepares girls to take their rightful places in society and take charge of their lives.”
She then later asks the audience: “But are companies and society prepared to give them their due and value their potential? We need to talk about this and seek positive initiatives together in order to promote this change, which will lead to many positive results for society. A girl who is financially independent can change for the better, not only her own life but the lives of those around her and the GDP of her country.”
The #SalarioIgual initiative has started this month and will keep running throughout the whole year. The project will promote events with employers and companies, as well as public policy activation initiatives, among other activities. Its final goal is to empower companies and government organizations to join the cause and foster change.
Speaking about the campaign, the agency stated that: “It’s an honor for BETC to participate in this movement alongside Plano. The disparity in pay between men and women is a sad reality for all markets, and it’s urgent that we do something to change this situation. We hope to bring this problem to light with this project and inspire people and companies to take action and promote equality.”
Will you let your daughter start working at the age of 10? Or will you join the initiative and start fighting for the rights and equal pay for women? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!