The gender wage gap has been an unresolved issue for many years in the United States and in other countries. There have been several theories as to why this is the case. Some say women choose lesser paying jobs. Others argue that women do not negotiate as well as men and therefore settle for lower salary offers. Another perspective is that women are not dominating the high paying engineering and technology fields as much as their male counterparts. Regardless of the reason, it is a known fact that there is a wage gap between genders in the United States.
"In 2015, female full-time workers made only 79 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 21 percent. Women, on average, earn less than men in virtually every single occupation for which there is sufficient earnings data for both men and women to calculate an earnings ratio."
-Institute for Women's Policy and Research
How Can We Address the Issue:
In 2016, how can we address the issue? Well, the State of Massachusetts is off to a great start in addressing it. The Governor passed a law stating that jobs can no longer ask a person's salary history as part of the interview process. This means that if a woman is underpaid in her current role, she does not necessarily have to be underpaid in her next role. She can finally earn the same salary as her male colleagues.
How else can we continue to close the wage gap in not only the United States, but other nations as well? More progress needs to be made.