The gender pay gap is not caused by women earning less than men for the same job. It is largely because women choose different careers and suffer a “motherhood penalty”’.<br /><br />Click here to subscribe to The Economist on YouTube: http://econ.st/2Bnu9E9 <br /><br />Women who work full-time, still earn 15% less than men. But that's not because they are paid less for the same jobs. It's because they're in different jobs.<br /><br />Women are in less senior jobs. In Britain, France and Germany, 80-90% of executive jobs are held by men. Women also tend to choose different occupations.<br /><br />In America over 80% of teachers, nurses, secretaries, and health workers are female and these jobs tend to be lower paid. Primary school teachers in the West earn nearly 20% less than the average graduate job. <br /><br />Nurses earn less than police officers. Cleaners less than caretakers. <br /><br />Women are as ambitious as men. They earn the majority of university degrees. In America, they now ask for promotions as often as men.<br /><br />But it's the price women pay for motherhood that holds them back. In Britain, 70% of mothers reduced their working hours or switched to a less demanding job compared with 11% of fathers.<br /><br />In Australia it's 56% of mothers and 19% of fathers, while in France 55% of mothers scaled back compared to 13% of fathers.<br /><br />When an American women goes back to work her salary is on average lower than it would have been if she hadn't had a child. <br /><br />The race for gender equality is far from over. As more children choose non-traditional careers and men do more childcare, fewer working women will be held back.<br /><br />Daily Watch: mind-stretching short films throughout the working week.<br /><br />For more from Economist Films visit: http://econ.st/2Bq9Q9n <br />Check out The Economist’s full video catalogue: http://econ.st/20IehQk <br />Like The Economist on Facebook: http://econ.st/2Bqvr16 <br />Follow The Economist on Twitter: http://econ.st/2Bqvqdy <br />Follow us on Instagram: http://econ.st/2BmFapk <br />Follow us on LINE: http://econ.st/1WXkOo6 <br />Follow us on Medium: http://econ.st/2BnC9VK
