American women have narrowed the gender wage gap in the last 30 years, to nearly 80 cents on the dollar as compared to 60 cents in the 1980s. Yet this gap is still 2.5 times the size of other industrialized countries. Some of the commonly proposed “answers” – making it illegal to pay men more, encouraging women to take jobs in fields that pay more, encouraging them to work more, and improving workplace flexibility, maternity leave, and childcare – are not as straightforward as it seems. Obstacles women face include the onus of starting lawsuits, working in high-paying industries that are hostile environments, the motherhood and marriage penalty, the burden of greater chores at home, and negotiating without the benefit of pay transparency.
See "How Do We Close the Wage Gap in the U.S.?", Bourree Lam, The Atlantic, March 9, 2016