Let's talk about women in the workforce. I am not going to say everything is perfect, because it's not. Take it from me. I'm a woman, and for most of my life I have had to work twice as hard as a man to prove that my skills meet theirs, if not exceed them.

Many jobs are still traditionally run in the same way they were before, and despite progress, women still face significant challenges in the professional world. These include unequal pay, limited leadership opportunities, and the prevalence of discrimination and sexual harassment.

According to News Week, recent research highlights the ongoing gender-based wage gap in the United States. That is something that should not be a problem.

According to the Department of Labor, women working full-time earn approximately 83.7 percent of what men earn annually. Babes, this is a difference of roughly $10,000.

This percentage has remained largely stagnant over the past decade.

For instance, in 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that women were earning approximately 82.1 percent of men's earnings.

Now, since there has been progress, we want to check out the companies in Maine that have been highlighted as the best places for women to work. This is News Week's 2nd annual ranking of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women in 2024.

So let's take a look!

Below are the three companies that are great for women.

Hannaford

Hannaford has just under 60 locations in Maine cities, and has a 4 1/2-star ranking on this list. They are a food and beverage retail with over 5,000 employees.

IDEXX

IDEXX is in Westbrook and has been received a 4 1/2-star rank on the this list. It's a company with over 5,000 employees that provides chemicals and plastics.

WEX

WEX is a software and engineer company that opened their 11th location on 1 Hancock Street in Portland, Maine, and were ranked with 5 stars.

What are your thoughts? Do you know of any other companies in Maine that provide strong support for women in the workplace?