Lower pay for women is more the result of men earning more within the same profession rather than women choosing lower paid occupations than their male counterparts, a new study shows.
Profession choice explains around 20 per cent of the gender pay gap, says think tank e61, and the rest comes down to employers paying men more than women within the same field.
Research manager Silvia Griselda said the findings busted the outdated myth the gender pay gap, which sits at around 15 per cent, was primarily driven by women going into nursing and other lower paid professions while men chose higher paid jobs such as in legal profession or aviation.
"Policies and action, by companies and governments, to increase female representation in high-paying occupations are very important but unlikely to significantly narrow the gender wage gap on their own," she said.
Women are not necessarily paid less for the exact same work but rather having children imposes a penalty on female employees making them less likely to pursue leadership or take on high-paying but time-intensive specialities.
Ms Griselda said men may be more likely to be working in firms that pay more put offer less flexibility and have higher workloads.
While women should still be encouraged to pursue careers in STEM and high-paying professions, the research suggests other policy responses are needed to make progress on the gender pay gap.
Firms and policymakers should also focus on encouraging employees of all genders to take on parental and domestic responsibilities, the researchers said.
Job-sharing in leadership roles and more flexibility about when and where work task are completed were flagged as viable strategies.
