University of Phoenix Survey Finds 75 Percent of Americans Say Working Conditions for Women Have Improved; Progress in Leadership Roles and Equal Pay Stalled

Only 33 percent of women say they make the same pay as male
counterparts

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In recognition of International Women’s Day, University of Phoenix
released its survey
results from a recent poll revealing varying levels of progress for
women in the workplace. The survey found the majority of respondents (75
percent) agreed that working conditions for women have improved in the
past decade; however, women continue to lag behind when it came to top
leadership roles and compensation. Only one in three female respondents
said they make the same amount of money as men working the same or
similar jobs at their company. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports
that in reality, women make, on average, 83 cents to the dollar of their
male counterparts.¹

Additionally, there is progress to be made when it comes to female
leadership in companies. While 79 percent of respondents have worked for
a female boss, only 34 percent said they have worked for a company with
a female president, owner or CEO. In fact, only 4.2 percent of Fortune
500 companies have a female CEO.²

“Over the years, women have made incredible progress in many areas, but
there is still a great deal of work to be done when it comes to gender
equality in the workplace,” said Constance St. Germain, Ed.D., J.D.,
executive dean of the Colleges of Humanities & Sciences, Social Sciences
and Criminal Justice. “Companies with diverse executive teams perform
better financially³ and are more innovative.”⁴

There remain disparities between men and women outside of the workplace
as well. The survey found that 55 percent of female respondents said
they are primarily responsible for activities related to their children,
while 66 percent of female respondents stated they spend more time on
household chores than their spouse.

“If we are to maintain the momentum, we must actively support the
advancement of women into leadership roles and advocate for workplace
policies that allow for the integration of both home and work life for
both women and men. This includes maternity and paternity leave,
flexible schedules, telecommuting policies and child care assistance,”
Dr. St. Germain added. “Furthermore, women can help other women succeed
by mentoring and supporting women in their organization or encouraging
growth opportunities like stretch projects or continuing education.”

At University of Phoenix, most of the students are working adults over
30 years old who juggle work responsibilities and caring for dependents
at home. This includes 66 percent of who are women and 67 percent of
students who have dependents,⁵ which further emphasizes the
need for flexible academic options and support services to help women
and working parents achieve their career goals. Additionally,
57 percent of University of Phoenix faculty are women who have
professional backgrounds in a variety of fields.

Visit www.phoenix.edu/WomensDay
to find full results from the gender equality study.

For background on University of Phoenix diversity initiatives, visit www.phoenix.edu/about_us/corporate-social-responsibility/diversity.html.

For more information about University of Phoenix programs, including
on-time completion rates, the median debt incurred by students who
completed the program and more, visit www.phoenix.edu/programs/gainful-employment.

Methodology

This poll was conducted by Morning Consult from Aug. 23-Sept. 3, 2016,
among a national sample of 10,113 registered voters. The interviews were
conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target
sample of registered voters based on age, race/ethnicity, gender,
educational attainment, region, annual household income, home ownership
status and marital status. Results from the full survey have a margin of
error of plus or minus one percentage points. For complete survey
methodology, please contact Angela
Heisel.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help working adults
move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly changing world.
Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive
learning can help students more effectively pursue career and personal
aspirations while balancing their busy lives. As a subsidiary of Apollo
Education Group, Inc., University of Phoenix serves a diverse student
population, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree
programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S., as well as
online throughout the world. For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu.

¹ https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/womens-earnings-83-percent-of-mens-but-vary-by-occupation.htm

² http://fortune.com/2016/06/06/women-ceos-fortune-500-2016/

³ http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters

⁴ http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/why_diversity_matters_catalyst_0.pdf

⁵ University of Phoenix Annual Academic Report (2015): http://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/altcloud/doc/about_uopx/academic-annual-report-2015.pdf

Contacts

University of Phoenix
Angela Heisel, 602-557-8650
Angela.Heisel@apollo.edu