
Join us for IWPR’s 2026 Power+ Summit, The Power Grid: Driving Gender Equity Forward, taking place September 28–29 in Detroit, MI.
Together, we will spark bold ideas, share breakthroughs, and shape the future of gender equity.
By Jacob Passy
Pay transparency is frequently touted as a means of addressing wage inequality. While no study has identified a direct link between secrecy around salaries and the wage gap, a 2014 study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that “secrecy appears to contribute to the gender gap in earnings.” In particular, nearly two in three single mothers said their employer discouraged or prohibited discussion about salaries, compared with 51% of women and 47% of men overall.

Join us for IWPR’s 2026 Power+ Summit, The Power Grid: Driving Gender Equity Forward, taking place September 28–29 in Detroit, MI.
Together, we will spark bold ideas, share breakthroughs, and shape the future of gender equity.