Why our homes — not offices — are largely responsible for the gender pay gap

Husbands, it's time to really start supporting your wives' careers

1950s housewife
(Image credit: (Blue Lantern Studio/Corbis))

We're half a century from President Kennedy's passing of the Equal Pay Act and women still continue to earn less than men. While some of this is still due to good old-fashioned sexism, the bulk of the gap is a casualty of motherhood.

Studies show that women make nearly the same amount as men right out of college, but the gap increases as they reach middle-age and take on more family responsibilities. Each child a woman has results in a 3 percent wage penalty, while fathers get a 6 percent boost. Also, mothers tend to earn less than women without children, a gap that hasn't budged for 30 years.

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Elissa Strauss

Elissa Strauss writes about the intersection of gender and culture for TheWeek.com. She also writes regularly for Elle.com and the Jewish Daily Forward, where she is a weekly columnist.