There is reason to believe that women earn less than men, and those looking at the overall numbers without the data and human understanding that creates them are led to believe that this is a real problem, a problem that government should solve immediately.
But the gap is much more complex than the overall numbers. If we look at the data, we see that women are often still choosing fields that simply pay less than the fields men are choosing. In fact, even within the STEM fields, women are more likely to go into biology and chemistry, which pay significantly less than math and engineering.
We must then turn to the question of those doing the same job, with the same experience, and the same education. What of the women who are indeed equally as qualified as the men in those positions and still earning less? We must look at how raises and promotions take place. In most fields, it is up to the employee to demand it. It is generally not in a woman’s nature to ask for more and most simply don’t think to do it. This nature is changing - research from this year, performed by the Cass Business School of London, suggests that women are now asking for raises as often as men, but not getting them as often. The possible difference here is the resulting action of the employee - is the woman willing to leave the company rejecting her demand and find a company who understands her worth? The recent study is the first of its kind showing this result, as previous studies as recent as two years ago all show that women were far less likely to ask for a raise at all. This new study does not show the end result. It is still possible that the company may have simply been holding out for a sign that the woman would leave if they do not meet her demand. Further studies are necessary to show or disprove discrimination.
On the topic of the nature of women, Learn Liberty (video links below) brings up another valid question - the question of family. Many women plan for their future including the idea of having children while selecting their fields of study. Even if the family were to be an untraditional one, where the father stays home to take care of the kids, the woman and her role in her position are still likely affected by the pregnancy itself. Whether consciously or unconsciously, businesses often promote men into important roles over women of child-bearing age, for fear that they may be taking significant amounts of time off. This creates an atmosphere of the men being promoted sooner than the women, which in turn leads to a disproportionate amount of men in the upper ranks of the fields. How can this balance be controlled in favor of equality? Should it?
The need for a work-family balance is an individual one. There are many of us women who prefer to focus on work rather than spending time raising children. There are others who feel much more satisfied when they are able to be in the home. Government regulation on the topic of the gender wage gap could not begin to take these personal choices into account and would go beyond fighting discrimination to a discrimination against men. It is therefore up to us as women and us as a society to fight this. We women must continue taking stands for ourselves and not allow our companies to call our bluff. We as a society must question companies with a reputation of paying women less and promoting them less often and be willing to boycott companies we believe are treating their employees with any sort of discrimination.
So, how do we close the gender wage gap? It’s not about government involvement, it’s about education. Women should enter fields they are passionate about, and if money plays a role in that, they should research the potential earnings of the fields. Women must take a stand - demand raises and promotions that they feel they have earned, and be prepared to go to a different company if they are refused. These changes will take time, but it will lead to a stronger competition base for companies to choose from and for employees to negotiate within.