Maybe I'm being too particular, but my problem with this sort of argument is that while it does provide an explanation for a wage gap existing, it still doesn't provide evidence that there is a wage gap. This can have some negative consequences when trying to understand the issue in general and when trying to formulate policy to solve it.
Let's say hypothetically that there was a study that compared earnings while making adjustments for job title, status, etc. and finds there to be no gap in the earnings that men and women make (This study that I linked below essentially says this, but I'm still unsure of this claim until I find more support for it ). However, there exists a large amount of evidence for structural biases that negatively affect women in the workplace. Is there a pay gap in a strict sense? No. Does this mean that gender in the workplace is an issue that should be ignored? Absolutely not. However, instead of saying that women make 77 cents on the dollar and arguing for equal pay, advocates really should focus on structural issues similar to those you mentioned.
I don't know any definite numbers (iirc its closer than 77 cents to the dollar) but in any event, a lot of the wage gap doesn't come from systematic sexism in the workplace from an employer's perspective- meaning the employer intentionally is sexist and pays women less despite having equal or better qualifications than men and/or equal/better work put in. Stigmas affecting women also come in the form of the encouragement to take lower paying jobs- not because they're lower paying, but because they're "traditional female" roles (schoolteacher, nurse, etc.) as opposed to high paying jobs that men are encouraged to take- STEM is probably the most prominent role. Women are more likely to major in humanities due to encouragement, or lower paying business majors- like Marketing as opposed to Finance. That's one reason, among others, for a wage gap.
Maybe I'm being too particular, but my problem with this sort of argument is that while it does provide an explanation for a wage gap existing, it still doesn't provide evidence that there is a wage gap. This can have some negative consequences when trying to understand the issue in general and when trying to formulate policy to solve it.
Let's say hypothetically that there was a study that compared earnings while making adjustments for job title, status, etc. and finds there to be no gap in the earnings that men and women make (This study that I linked below essentially says this, but I'm still unsure of this claim until I find more support for it ). However, there exists a large amount of evidence for structural biases that negatively affect women in the workplace. Is there a pay gap in a strict sense? No. Does this mean that gender in the workplace is an issue that should be ignored? Absolutely not. However, instead of saying that women make 77 cents on the dollar and arguing for equal pay, advocates really should focus on structural issues similar to those you mentioned.
I don't know any definite numbers (iirc its closer than 77 cents to the dollar) but in any event, a lot of the wage gap doesn't come from systematic sexism in the workplace from an employer's perspective- meaning the employer intentionally is sexist and pays women less despite having equal or better qualifications than men and/or equal/better work put in. Stigmas affecting women also come in the form of the encouragement to take lower paying jobs- not because they're lower paying, but because they're "traditional female" roles (schoolteacher, nurse, etc.) as opposed to high paying jobs that men are encouraged to take- STEM is probably the most prominent role. Women are more likely to major in humanities due to encouragement, or lower paying business majors- like Marketing as opposed to Finance. That's one reason, among others, for a wage gap.