Three transgender people went to a job interview twice: once as a man and once as a woman. The “two” candidates clearly have the same skills and experience. The job interviews were filmed with hidden cameras and made public via an online film, which proved that women are treated differently than men – especially when it comes to their salary. The film was posted on all of TERRE DES FEMMES’ social media channels – YouTube, Facebook, Instagram – but also on a microsite created especially for the project. Besides the film, the microsite provided more information about the gender pay gap, negotiation tips for a better salary, as well as TERRE DES FEMMES’ agenda on fighting the gender pay gap.

On February 22nd, 2018, The Gender Salary Experiment was published in an online film which ran on all of TERRE DES FEMMES’ social media channels – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube – as well as on a microsite created especially for the project.

Additionally, the film was individually placed with journalists, national and international influencers, feminist activists and celebrities to further spread the message.

The experiment was quickly reported by the national and international media, resulting in a media reach of 172 million and 2.6 million euros in earned media in the first 5 days.

Journalists quickly picked up the experiment’s shocking results and brought it to the attention of experts, who were excited to get the gender pay gap conversation started.

TERRE DES FEMMES saw a 53% increase in media requests (over 50 proactive requests by journalists and media outlets ranging from TV to radio, print and online publications) for comments, interviews and the likes compared to previous campaigns.

Online too, the film generated a heated discussion amongst viewers, all eager to share their opinion. With a retention rate of 71%, the film had a reach of 3.1 million on social media alone and almost 1 million user interactions.