Season 2 • Episode 6

Fair Share for the Ladies - Part 2 (With Special Guest: Vasu Reddy from National Women's Law Center)

March 13, 2026 30 min

Vasu Reddy of the National Women’s Law Center joins Money Well Studio to explain what the gender pay gap measures, why it persists and how policy can affect women’s earnings.

About This Episode

Part 2 moves from history to the policy architecture behind women’s earnings. Joined by Vasu Reddy of the National Women’s Law Center, Jennifer and Julie examine what the pay-gap number actually measures, why confusion around it persists and which structural forces matter most for women’s long-term financial security.

In This Episode

  • What the gender pay gap does and does not measure
  • Why occupational segregation continues to matter
  • How caregiving penalties can compound across a career
  • Why simply telling women to negotiate does not address the entire problem
  • How pay transparency policies can change incentives
  • Why public policy can shape lifetime earnings and retirement security

Cocktail of the Episode

The Saramago

The Saramago is a stirred tequila cocktail with blanc or dry vermouth, elderflower liqueur and orange bitters, served in a glass rinsed with mezcal and finished with grapefruit oils.

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Links & Resources

Keep digging

National Women’s Law Center

Research and policy work on workplace justice, pay equity and women’s economic security.

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Meet Vasu Reddy

Read more about our guest on the Money Well Studio Guests page.

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Money Well Studio is for educational and entertainment purposes and does not provide individualized financial, tax, investment or legal advice.