Dear Editor,

Feminists are calling on the Government to review equal pay laws. Their position is based on the erroneous notion that the gender pay gap is due to discrimination. Yet, research has consistently shown that discrimination against women does not explain the gap.

According to two different reports published in 2018 by the Bureau of Labour Statistics and Harvard economists, the wage gap is a reflection of the hours worked by men and women. Therefore, the earnings of men are justified because they work for longer hours.

In addition, a 2010 study of childless, urban workers produced by Reach Advisors found that women earned eight per cent more than their male counterparts on average.

Furthermore, in 2015, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York noted that young women earned more than their male contemporaries after graduating college.

It can be concluded that the gender earnings gap persists because women tend to prefer less physically demanding jobs after getting married and having children. Men, on the other hand, seek out more demanding jobs that will enable them to acquire more after starting a family.

Moreover, the majority of high-paying occupations are dominated by men with the reverse being true for low-paying occupations.

If feminists want to eliminate the gender pay gap then they must encourage women to seek employment in inflexible fields that are also dangerous such as logging.

Lipton Matthews

lo_matthews@yahoo.com