EQUAL PAY DAY: What employees and companies need to know to close the gender pay gap once and for all

• March 24 is Equal Pay Day, a day that's meant to bring awareness to the gender wage gap.
• It will take 257 years to close this gap, according to the World Economic Forum.
• Insider compiled a list of resources to help companies and employees make progress toward parity.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

Today is Equal Pay Day.

It symbolizes how many days into the new year a woman would have to work to earn the same amount of money as a man in 2020, according to the Equal Pay Today campaign.

So far, progress toward parity in the US has been slow. It will take 257 years to close the gender pay gap, according to research from the World Economic Forum.

Insider has compiled a list of educational resources and career advice for women to fight for the salary they deserve – and help employers close the chasm.

Understanding the gender pay gap

As of 2019, women who are working full-time jobs year-round earn 82.3 cents for every dollar that men make. They're paid 17.7% less than their male colleagues, Insider previously reported. Black and Hispanic women face even bigger disparities, earning 61% and 53% of what white men are paid.

Read more: Working women are still being disproportionately hurt by the pandemic recession

This chart shows the glaring pay gap between men and women in 25 major US cities

7 charts that show the glaring gap between men's and women's salaries in the US

The pandemic has been especially brutal for women striving to be executives

Women in medicine make about $116,000 less than men, and the pandemic could be making things worse

The pandemic could undo years of gains for women in the workforce, a new study finds

This calendar shows how many more days Asian American and Pacific Islander women had to work to earn as much as white men in 2020

Negotiating for higher pay

Women should negotiate for higher salaries.

Workplace strategist Erica Keswin, for example, provided the exact email template for requesting salary information from people in your industry. Other job coaches recommended you do a substantial amount of job market research before approaching HR for a raise.

Read more: Here's how to find out if you're underpaid at work, and the exact script to use when asking your boss for a salary increase

How to negotiate a higher salary and better perks after receiving a job offer, according to a cofounder who's helped candidates land $50,000 or more in extra pay

3 pieces of advice a management coach who's worked with Microsoft and Hyatt gives to women looking to get promoted to the C-suite

Latinas still endure one of the widest pay gaps of any group. On Latina Equal Pay Day, here's what policymakers, organizations, and companies can do to combat pay discrimination.

10 expert-backed tips for women to negotiate better salaries so they get the pay they really deserve

One chart shows the gap between men's and women's salaries is shrinking - and it's good news for anyone looking for a job right now

5 ways women in business can negotiate more effectively

Women executives at McKinsey, Unilever, and AT&T on how to stand out as a leader while working from home

A woman who sued Twitter over gender discrimination explains how she's made sure her own startup avoids the 'toxic' trap many tech firms fall into

Promoting and supporting women at work

It's time to address the systemic barriers, like microaggressions and subtle biases, that hold women back at work.

Companies need to be deliberate about addressing the invisible walls that keep women from advancing in their careers.

While being intentional about promoting women into leadership roles, employers should also acknowledge the extra burdens working women are experiencing during the pandemic. Prioritizing inclusive practices, allyship training, and career mentorship opportunities in the office are among the strategies that employers can take to better support their women.

Read more: We need more women in the C-suite. It won't happen on its own

CEO of Future Super: Gender equity is everyone's business, and it isn't a pipe dream

Getting more women into the CEO chair means having more women CFOs and CTOs

The psychologist who coined the term 'glass cliff' explains what it is, and why companies need to be more wary of it now

PwC's chief inclusion officer shares how the company developed a new toolkit to promote allyship in the workplace

Memorize these scripts so you can call out microaggressions at work and support your colleagues