The gender wage gap is defined as difference between median earnings of

men and women. This difference in E.U. is currently 16% and in U.S. 23%.

These values are widely used in political debates as proof of financial discrimination of women. Furthermore, according to some proponents, this discrimination should be fought with some extraordinary regulatory actions. The gender wage gap is also interpreted that from a certain day in the year, e.g. 6 November in France [1], women work for free. And maybe they should even be encouraged to go on strike… Well, hell no!

Let’s go back to definition. It is simple and does not take into account any other factor than median annual earnings. What are the types of jobs done

mostly by men or women? Are they the same? How many hours do men and women spend in work on average? Seriously, it does not take anything like that into account.

And it rather should because:

1. Men, more often than women, specialize in types of jobs, which are

in general better paid like programmers (above 80% of computer

science major are men), very dangerous jobs (fishers, loggers, aircraft

pilots etc.) [2]. Within the medical profession men more often choose

high-stress and correspondingly high-paid specializations like

surgeon, while women often choose less-paid specialization like

pediatrician and dentists.

2. Men spend on average more hours in job than women, also take more

after hours and less leaves. According to 2015 survey of U.S. Bureau

of Labor Statistic among full-time employees men worked 8.4 hours

compared 7.8 for women [3].

3. And what will surprise many: in metropolitan areas of U.S. single

women actually earn more than single men [4]. Never heard? not so

strange…



The explanation of these facts is another interesting topic, which does not

hinder from asking simple question:

Why then median annual earnings of men and women

who on average work different number of hours in different jobs

should be exactly equal?

It would mean, that although men on average tend to work more hours in

better paid types of jobs, they should earn the same, which means they should earn less than women for the same one hour of the same job.

This proposition defines pure discrimination, yet it’s being sold as remedy for discrimination. And that is pure hypocrisy.

While there is nothing wrong in encouraging women to work more hours or choose better paid jobs, big part of political and medial establishment,

including prominent E.U. and U.S politicians, massively use the gender pay

gap to manipulatively suggest that women are being paid very unfairly, which is a fault of bad men…

This false interpretation of pay gap has to be firmly opposed. Because it is

false and because it is antagonizing us, women and men in already so

atomized society. And old rule of manipulative rulers is: divide et impera,

which means divide and rule.

Post Scriptum

Unfortunately, French government already prepared law to press companies to reduce gender pay gap [5]. Companies will have to decrease gap in 3-4 years or face penalty of 1% of their total payroll. What it can mean in practice? It means that companies trying to comply with command will hire proportionally more women and increase wages for women possibly regardless of personal qualifications or hours spent in work. This will create perfect environment for unjust treatment of men.

And our world will become little less free and little less just under illusion of equality.