According to the U.S. Department of Labor, American women are paid 84 cents on average, for every dollar men make. This wage gap has persisted despite near-record rates of women's participation in the labor market, with wage gaps even larger for women in minority populations, and experts estimate that pay parity will not be achieved until 2052. Should policy interventions address these disparities, or is it more important to recognize and honor women's personal decisions and find another way to look at the gap?Supporters of addressing the gender wage gap see it as a point of fairness and equity that would bring economic benefits, they argue, such as higher family incomes and greater productivity. New laws and policies, they contend, are needed to dismantle systemic barriers that prevent women from earning more. Opponents of addressing the gender wage gap argue that such disparities reflect individual choices regarding career paths, work-life balance, and tenure, rather than systemic discrimination. They also contend that when adjusted for factors like job type, hours worked, and taking breaks in one's career, the gap significantly narrows. Should we address the gender wage gap?

Originally released by Open to Debate, 2024. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on June 06, 2024.