The gender wage gap is still a very prevalent hot button issue in the United States, as women only make around 82% of what men make for the same work done. The gender wage gap worldwide is astronomically lower than that in the U.S., coming in at women making only 52% of what men make for equal work. But the real question is, what could the solution be? Is it as simple as just paying someone for their quality of work done, regardless of their gender?
Claudia Goldin, a Harvard researcher, believes the solution may not be as simple as just paying women more. Her research found that people who are at the office for more time during the week, tend to proportionally earn more money. But, those who work outside the office or outside of typical office hours, earn proportionally less. So, that leaves women, who tend to be the caregivers by nature, at home more than men. They either pick up a job that is flexible enough for them to work from home, or they simply work part-time. Which, in turn, lessens their income either way.
So rather than simply paying women more for the say-so of it, Goldin believe the responsibility actually lies in employers paying more fairly for flexible work hours. Though the process has begun, Goldin believes we still have a long way to go.
