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Reading about the status of women in the United States can give you whiplash—sometimes it seems as though women are hitting their stride at home and in the workplace, while other times the prospect of fairness seems so bleak that even a game of golf is out of reach.

Stories about whether women outearn men are a perfect example of that dichotomy. Some are intentionally misleading, driven by an ideological agenda. In other cases, the authors seem to have misunderstood the facts they include. As a result, Catalyst decided to explore this topic, and recently published Do Women Outearn Men in the United States?: The Facts.

Are women outearning men? The answer is… some are. But more aren’t. It’s an important distinction to make, because overemphasizing the progress women have made could damage efforts to address the many barriers that still hinder change and advancement.

So, what are the facts?

In 2009, the most recent year for which data is available, 38 percent of working wives outearned their husbands. This number is for all husbands, and includes men who are unemployed as well as those who are retired, in school, and on disability. For dual-earner couples, or couples in which both the husband and wife were currently employed, 29 percent of wives outearned their husbands—that’s still less than 3 in 10.

Not quite the “end of men,” is it?

What’s more, these numbers only include wives with earnings, who are a subset of the greater picture. Wives who earned more than their husbands, whether their husbands had earnings or not, represented 9 percent of the total labor force. And women who are part of dual career couples who outearn their husbands are only 6 percent of the labor force. Further only 4 percent of married-couple families with children under 18 have the wife in the labor force while the husband stays at home.

What this means it that while the narrative of high-powered women and their lower-income or stay-at-home husbands certainly is part of the landscape in the United States, it’s not as prevalent as we might think. And although young, single, childless women in metropolitan areas may earn more than men for a period of time, that’s before they run into a motherhood penalty and other obstacles such as gender stereotypes for leaders and biased talent-management systems.

On average, women earn less than men: Catalyst found that, even when taking into account experience, job level, industry and more, on average women are paid $4,600 less in their first post-MBA jobs than men. Parenthood and aspirations were not to blame. Looking at all full-time, year-round workers, based on median annual earnings, women still earn only 77.4 percent of men’s earnings.

Where we’re left is this: women have made some progress on the home front and work front. Men have too, especially those with an awareness of gender inequities and an interest in fairness. But much change still needs to happen, and having honest facts that shine a light on what actually is going on is one critical step.

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Emily V. Troiano manages Catalyst’s Information Center and fills numerous library roles, including product development and responding to research requests on a variety of topics from member organizations, Catalyst staff, members of the media, and outside researchers. Ms. Troiano also manages and develops content for Catalyst’s intranet and external website, has authored a tool on workplace trends, and has served on the Catalyst Award Evaluation Committee.

Catalyst Expands in India Inc.

I was in India recently to launch the Catalyst India Advisory Board. This new Board is composed of business leaders from India-headquartered companies and Indian subsidiaries of global multinationals, and offers strategic counsel on how to expand opportunities for women and business in India Inc. In this article, I explain why we’re expanding Catalyst’s presence in India, and give a nod to Wipro and Pitney Bowes—founding supporters of our work there.

READ: “TK Kurien Appointed Catalyst India Advisory Board Chairman,” The Economic Times, 4/30/12

Ambition & Family

Work-life effectiveness is important for both sexes—it’s not merely a women’s issue. The same survey that revealed a surge of career ambition among women also found that being a good parent was one of the most important things for more than half (56 percent) of women ages 35-64—an increase of 13 percent between 1997 and 2011. Furthermore, nearly half (49 percent) of men surveyed in this age group stressed the importance of being a good parent, a rise of 11 percentage points during this time period. Companies take note: the demand for work-life effectiveness is not going away any time soon.

READ: “Is the Opt Out Myth Officially Defeated?” The Glass Hammer, 5/2/12

Leading from the South

After Nordic countries, the Latin American/Caribbean region is leading the world in gender equality—especially in politics. UN Women recently ranked Cuba third in the world in the percentage of women in the legislature (the United States ranks 78^th), and the region boasts five female heads of state. “Latin America is doing well,” said Begoña Lasagabaster, a UN Women political adviser. “It’s giving women a good level of education, and it’s starting to have some social policies taking into account the situation of women at work.”

READ: “Latin America Opens Up to Equality,” The New York Times, 5/1/12

Invest in Women

For years, Catalyst and others have been demonstrating a correlation between companies with more women on top and higher profits. Organizations are taking notice. Pax World Global Women’s Equality Fund is a US mutual fund that invests in companies that promote gender equality. “When women are at the table, the discussion is richer, the decision-making process is better, management is more innovative and collaborative and the organization is stronger,” said Joe Keefe, President and Chief Executive of Pax World Management and Pax World Funds. “It’s not just me saying this, it’s research saying this.”

READ: “Advisors Must Fight For More Women in Executive Roles,” OnWallStreet, 4/26/12

Supercharging Take Our Daughters to Work Day

Taking our daughters to work is an important first step in developing tomorrow’s leaders. Citing a recent survey that found that 80 percent of girls want to interact with successful women—but only 60 percent have the opportunity to do so—Jennifer Allyn, a managing director at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, argues that companies should also introduce their employees’ daughters to women in the C-Suite. Doing so, she says, will inspire more girls to lead.

READ: “After 20 Years of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Time for a Rethink,” The Christian Science Monitor, 4/26/12

Added to the mix of replies was a submission by Catalyst’s Mike Otterman, Social Media Manager, and Jeanine Prime, PhD, Vice President of Research. Among their roles at Catalyst, Mike and Jeanine are community managers of Men Advocating Real Change, or MARC, Catalyst’s new online community for men committed to achieving equality in the workplace. Their work with MARC gives them a unique vantage point to answer this question—especially regarding the role men can play to ensure a level playing field for both sexes.

Below is Mike and Jeanine’s response to the Atlantic. They write that when it comes to equality, most guys “get it”:

Most guys get that equality programs—things like flexible work arrangements, mentoring programs, on-site childcare, and legislative solutions for equal pay—are good for women and men. They support equality, not just because they care about women, but because they recognize it’s in their own interests.

There are a lot of big-picture economic reasons why gender equality makes sense. Economies are stronger in countries where more women participate in the workforce. In fact, if women participated in the paid labor market at the same rate as men, America’s GDP would jump 9%, the eurozone’s 13%, and Japan’s 16%. And research suggests a correlation between diversity on boards and better financial performance and innovation.

But here’s where it gets even more interesting: Men now have more personal reasons to support equality too. Take fair pay. Of the more than 25 million married couples with children in the US in 2010, 57.7% were dual-career couples. And in 2009, working wives contributed 37.1% to family income. Yet many women today still earn less and get promoted less frequently than men from day-one of their careers—regardless of their aspirations, credentials, work experience and parenthood status. Over the course of a 40-year career, this can add up to an average of $380,000 in lost wages. For fathers who rely on their partner’s income, support for pay equity is a no-brainer. Equal pay equals more money for the family.

Or take other traditional “women’s issues” like child care and flexible work arrangements. Catalyst research shows that men, not just women, experience anxiety about whether their children are being adequately cared for while at work–anxiety that can affect how productive they are. Employers who provide on-site child care help make the men they employ more productive too.

Furthermore, research shows that men increasingly see fatherhood as more than a matter of financial support and are placing importance on it above their careers. But at the same time, men don’t feel supported by their employers in fulfilling parental responsibilities—with many men resorting to hiding absences to take care of their kids.

To foster an environment where men can build better relationships, personal fulfillment and financial security, more and more guys are joining initiatives like The Good Men Project and more recently, Men Advocating Real Change or MARC (full disclosure: Mike Otterman and Jeanine Prime are MARC’s community managers). These online movements connect and amplify the “good guys” and give men who “get it” greater voice and visibility. Plus, they create a platform for men to stand up to those who call for a return to our Mad Men past.

Supporting equality does not mean the end of men. It is not a zero-sum game. Scaling back initiatives that foster workplace equality is not only anti-women, but anti-men too.

Equal Pay Day marks how far into 2012 women must work from January 1, 2011, to match what men earned last year. On average, women make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. This gap adds up: over the course of their lives, women in the United States lose an average of $380,000 because of the gender pay gap, a loss that is compounded by reduced pensions in retirement.

Gender pay gaps don’t just harm women—they harm families too! Nearly 40 percent of United States mothers are the primary breadwinners of their households. But the median income of single-mother families with a child or children under 18 was only $24,487 in 2010.

When women are paid less just because they are women, the implication is that they are worth less. This in turn leads to gender gaps in opportunity and leadership. The cycle begins with unconscious bias—it is not due to women’s lack of ambition, parenthood status, or failure to employ the right career advancement strategies.

So how do we close the gaps?

The Get Even campaign, co-led by Catalyst, the National Council for Research on Women and The White House Project, was launched at the recent Catalyst 50th Anniversary Celebration. Getting even is not about taking anyone down. It’s about lifting everyone up to the same level. When women get even, the world gets more talent, innovation, and GDP growth.

Visit Get Even for tips on how to close the pay gap and to help spread the word. The gender pay gap will persist in the United States for decades unless each one of us acts. Be a catalyst right now.

As an institution, Augusta is well within its rights to discriminate against women. But as a club, Augusta is more than an institution—it’s a membership organization, and its policies reflect the views and values of the people who are its members.

So let’s move past the “institution” and ask the members of Augusta to take an honest look in the mirror and ask themselves whether discrimination against women truly reflects their values.

On March 29, at the annual Catalyst Awards Dinner, I asked all 2,000 guests to take personal accountability to be catalysts. A catalyst acts on the simple idea that women and men should have the same societal, economic, political, and life opportunities. Progress toward equality doesn’t happen all by itself. It happens because individuals take action to change the rules, norms, and practices that might be comfortable for some but harmful to others.

My call to action today is to the members of Augusta: Make change now, not just for IBM CEO Virginia Rometty, whose company is a lead sponsor of the Masters Tournament, but for all women who would qualify for Augusta membership but for their gender. And do it today.

This is not a nice “to-do” to put off until next year. Every day you delay is another day you’ll have to face the mirror—and see the reflection of inequality staring back at you.

This simple but powerful message ran through Catalyst’s exhilarating two-day 50th Anniversary Celebration—from the 2012 Dinner Video, to the informative panel discussions, Catalyst Award winner presentations and our three new social media initiatives: Men Advocating Real Change (MARC), Get Even, and the I Am A Catalyst video campaign.

The entire Catalyst staff worked tirelessly to put together the two-day celebration, and I’d like to thank them for their talent, good cheer, and success. And of course, we couldn’t have done it without all of you—our Catalyst supporters.

As we enter our 51^st year as an organization, I look forward to working together to foster a future where women and men are valued equally in the workplace and beyond. This future won’t just “happen”—we need to make it happen… right now.

Submit a video to I Am A Catalyst, join MARC, or share how you’re getting even. Together, let’s create a future where everyone is a catalyst for change.

On Monday I rang the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange—what a thrill! And today our two-day 50^th Anniversary and Catalyst Awards Conference at the Waldorf=Astoria begins. Among the many highlights, I’m especially looking forward to Thursday’s special luncheon session featuring Campbell Soup Company President & CEO Denise Morrison and Frontier Communications Chairman & CEO Maggie Wilderotter—two extraordinary women leading Fortune 1000 companies who happen to be sisters!

Be sure to follow the Twitter hashtag #catalyst50th and our Facebook page for the latest sights and sounds from the festivities. Let’s mark this milestone together—we are all catalysts for change.

This Monday, March 26, 2012, I’ll be ringing the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange.  Festivities continue on March 28 and 29 at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City, where I’ll be joined by more than 2000 business leaders from around the world.

In addition to honoring the Catalyst-Award-winning initiatives, at the Waldorf we’ll be launching MARC—Men Advocating Real Change—Catalyst’s new online learning community for men; a bold new campaign for equality, co-led by Catalyst, The White House Project and the National Council for Research on Women; and, I Am A Catalyst, a new video campaign that poses the question: why are you a Catalyst for change? The two-day celebration will also feature events about creating workplaces inclusive of diverse women and a round-table discussion on the portrayal of women in media featuring supermodel Emme, film producer Susan Cartsonis, Draftfcb Executive Vice President Mike Devlin, and INSEAD Professor of Organizational Behavior Herminia Ibarra.

And if that isn’t enough, the Conference will also feature an exhibit exploring Catalyst’s impact on women in the workplace over the past 50 years, how we’ll make change going forward, and the power of each person to be a catalyst of change.

This is a celebration 50 years in the making—let’s mark this milestone together!

Lowered Expectations?

A recent poll on work-life effectiveness by lifestyle magazine Real Simple found that 68 percent of women said that their jobs “rarely or never interfere with their personal lives.” Does this surprisingly high level of satisfaction reflect real progress in the workplace, or just a readjustment of expectations around what companies are willing—and not willing—to offer?

READ: “Have Women Found Work/Life Balance?” Real Simple, 3/15/12

Down Under – On Top

Go Oz! A global survey of women in senior management in 40 different countries found that Australia has the highest proportion of female CEOs—with three in ten businesses led by women. On the other end of the spectrum, the survey found that only 5 percent of senior management positions were filled by women in Japan, followed by Germany (13 percent), India (14 percent) and Denmark (15 percent).

READ: “Number of Women in Senior Management Falls in Canada, Rises in Europe,” Canada Newswire, 3/15/12

Listen Up

This round-up of advice from leading women in business includes a few gems on how to lead. “When you tell people the truth, in a timely fashion, you show them respect. And that’s how you earn it too,” notes entrepreneur and CEO Margaret Heffernen. And what about gaining experience? “Nonprofit boards provide extraordinary opportunities for women to engage at the highest levels of leadership,” said Alice Korngold, founder of Korngold Consulting, “including as board chairs, vice chairs, secretaries of the board, treasurers, and committee chairs.”

READ: “What Glass Ceiling? Killer Career Advice From Women Who Lead By Example,” Fast Company, 3/5/12

Stepping Up to Real Change

Last week, Catalyst Canada launched the Catalyst Accord for Canadian companies. “I’m a great believer in the fact that if you don’t have voluntary targets that you measure, then often very little happens,” said RBC chief executive officer Gordon Nixon, who signed the accord. What’s good for women is good for business – it’s so great to see the Accord gaining momentum in Canada.

READ: “The 25% Solution: How to Diversify the Boardroom,” Globe and Mail, 3/8/12

A Sporting Chance

In Saudi Arabia, women are prohibited from entering sports arenas. But will this be the first year Saudi women participate in the Olympics? Following pressure from groups like Human Rights Watch, the IOC reached out to Saudi Arabia, along with Brunei and Qatar, to negotiate ways to increase female participation. “The IOC is working very closely so as to ensure the three countries that have never had woman representation at the Olympic Games will send a representation,” said IOC director general Christophe De Kepper. “It is too soon to say where we stand now but we are working hard. What we can say is that the three parties are very cooperative in finding a solution.”

READ: “Olympics-IOC Hopes All Nations Will Send Women to London Games,” Reuters, 3/13/12

Early this morning, Catalyst released the 2011 Catalyst Census: Financial Post 500 Women Board Directors showing that women currently hold just 14.5 percent of board seats in FP500 companies, and 10.3 percent of board seats in public companies. Nearly 40 percent of FP500 companies—and more than 46 percent of public FP500 companies—have zero women on their boards.

These numbers show a disregard for the benefits of diverse leadership. Smart organizations demand diverse slates of candidates when looking to fill a board seat, and look for talented “board-ready” women. And today Catalyst Canada launched the Catalyst Accord, an initiative that calls on Canadian companies to meet the challenge.

Want to dig deeper into the latest FP500 census? Please join our Tweet Chat on Thursday, March 15 at 12pm EST to discuss the latest stats—and the path forward to creating more inclusive Canadian workplaces. Liz Mulligan-Ferry, Senior Associate, Research, will be on-hand to answer any questions you may have. Follow along via Twitter.com or use Tweetchat.com for a more streamlined view of the discussion. Please use the hashtag #ChatCat for every tweet you send during this special event.