The gender wage gap is an extreme bias that is preventable but still exists in the workplace, economist and former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Evelyn Murphy said. Murphy, author of ‘Getting Even: Why Women Don’t Get Paid Like Men and What To Do About It,’ said men usually receive higher wages in the workforce than women in a lecture to about 60 students at the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences on Monday. ‘Several biases and stereotypes are still there,’ Murphy, ‘Women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn. That’s a 23 cent gender wage gap.’ ‘If you or your sister just graduated from high school, [you or] she will earn $700,000 less than the man graduating next to her,’ Murphy said. ‘If she graduated from college, she will earn $1 million less.’ If she graduated from a graduate program, such as law school, she will earn $2 million less than men.’ Murphy created WAGE Project, Inc., a grassroots organization that aims to help eradicate any discrimination against working women. She said she began the WAGE foundation because she wanted to inform women about the gender wage gap. ‘I heard about the problem and figured there are constructive ways to act.’ I’m in public office now, and I want to improve things for people.’ It’s what I do,’ she said. ‘This is my dream.’ My goal is to eliminate the gender wage gap in biased workplaces.’ Throughout the discussion, Murphy said there are ways to eliminate significant disparities between men and women in the office. ‘There are ways we can act and get paid for what [we] are worth,’ she said. ‘First, look at what you are worth for the job you are going to go get. Then have a salary negotiation. This is a discussion.’ Murphy suggested keeping a positive tone and being flexible. She also said listening is important. ‘The art form of the salary negotiation is you listen so carefully that you hear the ideas of the person on the other side of the table,’ she said. While being interviewed for a job, there are tactics to follow that every woman should know, Murphy said. ‘You never want to be the first person to put money on the table,’ Murphy said. ‘Say that you will accept any reasonable offer.’ Aim high but stay realistic, and you can manage to get a salary that’s higher. You’re the only one that can sell yourself; nobody’s going to do it for you.’ It matters how far you value yourself,’ she said. Among Murphy’s tips on fighting discrimination, SAR graduate student Sara O’Brien said she found her ‘don’t put money on the table first’ advice most helpful.’ ‘That’s so true,’ she said. ‘You don’t realize it, but you do end up selling yourself short.’ Murphy said individualism is the only way to end the bias. ‘The only way we close this gap is if we all act individually,’ she said. ‘If you all do this for yourselves, there will be a major difference.’