The gender pay gap is a measure of gender inequality and refers to the disparity in average

earnings between people of different genders. It is a pervasive problem that is observed in a

variety of industries and at different professional levels (Howard, 2022).

The reasons behind the ongoing pay disparity between men and women are as follow:

The Industries or Jobs held by Individuals: The effects of occupational segregation, which

involves the channelling of men and women into different industries and jobs based on gender

norms and expectations, have been measured by researchers in terms of a wholistic wage gap.

This gap is evidenced by the fact that jobs typically held by women, such as childcare providers

and home health aides, tend to have lower pay and fewer benefits than those held by men, such

as those in the traditionally male-dominated trades like construction and building. This gender

disparity is present across all industries and jobs, from front-line employees to midlevel

managers to senior leaders (Hegewisch & Hartmann, 2014).

Gender Discrimination: Women take on a disproportionate amount of unpaid domestic labor

such as housework, childcare, and caregiving, which can leave them vulnerable to lower

incomes and reduced labor force participation. This puts them at a disadvantage and leaves

men free to prioritize paid work. Women's contribution to domestic tasks is essential for

societies to function, yet they are still disadvantaged due to their disproportionate workload

(Moyser, 2019).

Division of labour by gender: The gender pay gap continues to reinforce traditional gender

roles in terms of labour division. When women are paid less than men for the same amount of

work, it creates a financial disincentive for families to shift towards a more equitable balance

of paid and unpaid roles (Moyser, 2019).

Education: Even though labour market policies are intended to produce more equitable

outcomes for those in the lower tiers of the wage distribution, women still receive less money
than men with comparable levels of education. Numerous factors, including penalties for time

away from the workforce, long workdays, traditional gender roles, and pay and promotion

discrimination, are probably to blame for this wage gap (Gould et al., 2016).

Working Individuals: The 2021 Statistics Canada data indicates that there is a gender pay gap

of 0.89 for both full-time and part-time employees, which means that women earn only 89 cents

for every dollar earned by men. The gap is slightly smaller for full-time employees, with

women making 90 cents for every dollar earned by men (Canada, 2023).

To conclude, the gender pay gap is a persistent problem that affects all genders and must be

addressed. To decrease the wage gap, it is essential to ensure that women are paid equally for

performing the same job and to create a workplace free from discrimination.