On the occasion of International Women’s Day, leaders like Olena Zelenska, Hillary Clinton, Mika Brzezinski, Gloria Steinem, and Billie Jean King sat down to talk about gender equality in today’s world. The legends featured at the Know Your Value and Forbes’ 30/50 Summit where they discussed the pressing issues for women’s empowerment raging around the world right now. As expected, one such issue is the pay gap where women have been struggling to be treated as cerebral equals of their male counterparts. Of this, Billie Jean King is a well-known advocate and voices her opinions strongly as she asks women to “follow the money”.

Jean King’s struggle for equal pay dates way back to 1973- The Battle of Sexes Tournament. When asked about how to increase the progress in tackling the pay gap in the world and what to say to people who don’t believe in the problem, the tennis legend has some wise words to share. She gave the audience an insightful answer coupled with the advice she has realized over the years.

Billie Jean King knows what fantastic things money can do

Beyond sports, King has been a vocal advocate for gender equality and pay equity in the workplace, including promoting the idea that women should negotiate for higher salaries and better benefits.

When asked what she would tell people who say, during a special segment by MSNBC, “Oh, pay equity? That’s no longer an issue!”, King said that she would, “Say ‘No'”. She continued, “Until we have this one-to-one, we have a long way to go”. She then urged her audience, who were women from 50 different countries, “Please, women: follow the money… We’re going in the right direction psychologically, but the reality is we’re not making it.”

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‘Broke the Mold of the Future Generations’- Billie Jean King Pays a Deserving Homage to Serena Williams

Talking about her experiences, she said, “Because I am older, women were taught never to follow the money.” She expressed her joy at meeting the women of the new generation who make money and then talk about it. She believes, “What can money do but fantastic things in life!”

King says that the biggest cause that pushes the problem of pay equity is women not having access or control over “contraceptives, not having control of the laws.”

Talking about how she would have become a lawyer instead if she hadn’t played tennis, King said, “If I didn’t play tennis, my plan was to go to law school… for legislation purposes, to change the laws because that’s where it happens. That’s what Title IX did for us in the United States and beyond.”

King’s struggle for pay equity

In 1973, King famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, which brought attention to the issue of gender inequality in sports and helped to spark a movement for pay equity. Following this iconic match, King became an outspoken advocate for equal pay and continued to fight for pay equity in tennis and other sports.

King’s advocacy helped to establish equal prize money for women’s tennis at Grand Slam tournaments and other major tennis events. She also played a role in advocating for Title IX, a federal law that prohibits gender discrimination in education programs with federal funding.

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