Do Women Earn Less Because They Ask for Less?
November 18th, 2015 – by Terisa Thurman
Jennifer Lawrence fueled the fire over the conversation of the gender pay gap in Hollywood after she published an essay
titled, “Why
Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars?” The actress learned how her wages compared to her male colleagues as a result of the Sony email hack which put private emails
online for the public to see. The essay in which Lawrence confesses, “I
failed as a negotiator because I gave up early,” seemed to lend itself as the catalyst for New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT)
to call a special meeting for their members and the lawyers of Outten
& Golden, a law firm that is dedicated to representing employees and
executives.
It may have been Friday the 13th
but despite any superstitious beliefs NYWIFT members arrived early,
approximately 8:30 AM to the law offices in midtown Manhattan in hopes
of learning how to polish their skills negotiating the terms, conditions
and salary of a job offer.
After
a continental breakfast and a warm welcome by managing founder Wayne
Outten, NYWIFT members listened to a presentation titled
“Negotiating Your Next Move: Employment and Consulting Agreements” led
by Outten & Golden partner, Katherine Blostein. The firm is
particularly qualified to lead the conversation as Outten & Golden’s
clients include unpaid interns who went head to head with
entertainment entities such as Fox Searchlight, NBCUniversal and Charlie
Rose. They also represented female executives who sued for gender
discrimination against corporate titans like Goldman Sachs, Bank of
America and Microsoft.
Blostein walked the group through a few eye-opening statistics including one that stated women on average ask for 30% less than their male counterparts when negotiating salary. She moved on to explore tactics to give women the edge at the negotiation table ranging from tips on how to gain more confidence from using the right terminology to being more assertive by defining the parameters within an employment contract.
The conversation was further expanded into financial aspects as Blostein introduced CPA and MBA Nancy Cooper. Cooper offered detailed advice on types of insurance and filing taxes. She also answered individual questions and provided resources to gain personalized information.
This member’s only event is one of many benefits offered to NYWIFT members.
Terisa Thurman is studying sustainability at Columbia University. Follow her on Twitter.
To find out more about member benefits and how to join visit www.nywift.org. Now through December 1st, take advantage of our Fall Membership Drive discount and save 50% off the initiation fee when you apply online!
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Sun Roller
Welcome to NYWIFT, Sun Roller! Sun Roller is a Chickasaw creative and producer raised in Oklahoma and based in New York City. With a career spanning production design, art direction, project management, and large-scale leadership, Sun Roller brings a deeply intentional, intuitive approach to every project she touches—grounded in spirituality, connection to nature, and collaboration. Sun Roller has worked across film and television on projects including Reservation Dogs, I Saw the TV Glow, Poker Face and The Lowdown. In recent years, she has expanded her work into producing, with a focus on Indigenous-led stories and community-centered narratives. When she’s not on set or behind a computer, Sun Roller can often be found outdoors soaking up the Sun and enjoying time in nature with her elder pup, Wrigley, and her partner, Annie H. In our interview, Sun Roller reflects on her path into film and television, building a career across male-dominated industries, and the stories she’s most excited to bring to the screen next.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Sarah Friedland
Welcome to NYWIFT, Sarah Friedland! Sarah Friedland is a filmmaker and choreographer working at the intersection of moving images and moving bodies. Friedland’s debut feature film, Familiar Touch, earned critical acclaim at the Venice International Film Festival last year, where she received both the Lion of the Future/Best Debut Film and the Horizons Award for Best Director. On the heels of her success at Venice, she won an Independent Spirit Award (“Someone to Watch”) and has since been nominated for two Gotham Awards (Breakthrough Director and Best Feature) and another Film Independent Spirit Award (John Cassavetes Award).
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Ida Elina
Welcome, Ida Edina, to NYWIFT! Ida is a multi-hyphenate singer-songwriter, composer, and filmmaker who started playing the Finnish harp at 13. She brands herself as a modern pop kantele queen from the nordics. Ida truly is an ethnomusicologist obsessed with the ancient Kalevala poems of her homeland. Her work currently has over three million views on her YouTube channel. Ida's award-winning short film, Under the Northern Skies, is a journey through her 13-song album that combines original music with an audiovisual concert experience. It premiered in Finland in February 2025. Read on to learn more about Ida's art and her dreams for the year ahead.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Kelli Reilly
Welcome to NYWIFT, Kelli Reilly! Kelli Reilly is a producer, director, and writer working across narrative film and documentary, based between New York and Los Angeles, and the founder of Quartermaster Creative. She studied film and television at NYU Tisch with a focus in experimental cinema and got her start working on acclaimed documentaries, including Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story, The Vow, and Student Athlete. Her recent producing work includes I Got You, SLICK, and The Daughter, and she is currently in post-production on the feature documentary Viva La Dita. She is also in production on the period feature The Florist and is a writer and contributor to the New York Times–recommended podcast Look Behind the Look. In our interview, Kelli discussed how she shaped her artistry, her inspirations, and her upcoming work.
READ MORE
