The gender pay gap is the percentage difference between the average earnings of men and women. Differences in pay are caused by occupational segregation (with more men in higher-paid industries and women in lower-paid industries), vertical segregation (fewer women in senior, and hence better-paying positions), ineffective equal pay legislation, women’s overall paid working hours, and barriers to entry into the labor market such as education level and single parenting rate.
Strategies for narrowing the gender pay gap
- Raise the minimum wage.
- Increase pay transparency.
- Unionize workplaces.
- Implement fair scheduling practices.
- Expand paid family and medical leave.
- Increase access to child care.
- Stop basing employee pay on salary history.
- Improve work-life balance.
- Fix pay disparities
