Policies to end the gender wage gap in the United States

Summary

Marlene Kim's 2013 article, "Policies to end the gender wage gap in the United States," published in the *Review of Radical Political Economics*, serves as a comprehensive survey and synthesis of the ongoing debate surrounding the persistent earnings disparity between men and women. The paper's methodology involves reviewing existing literature to understand the underlying causes of the gender wage gap and subsequently identifying and synthesizing a range of policy interventions aimed at its reduction. It does not present new empirical data but rather compiles and analyzes the efficacy and rationale behind various proposed solutions. The core findings of the paper identify several key policy categories that can contribute to narrowing the gender wage gap. These include: supporting the unionization of women, implementing comparable worth policies (which mandate equal pay for jobs of equal value, not just identical work), enacting pay secrecy legislation to promote transparency, strengthening affirmative action measures, enforcing stronger non-discrimination laws, and introducing family-friendly policies. The implication drawn is that, given the challenges of passing comprehensive federal legislation, a more effective strategy for advocates would be to concentrate efforts at the state level. By targeting individual states, it is argued that specific legislative changes and proactive remedies can be achieved to improve women's pay more effectively. The paper underscores that these multifaceted approaches are crucial for addressing the complex factors that contribute to the gender wage gap, which include occupational segregation and historical undervaluation of female-dominated roles.