Closing the Gender Pay Gap: The Case for Equal Parental Leave
In 2024, full-time working women earned 83.6% of what men earned, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While this 16.4% gap shows improvement from the 23% gap in 2009 when the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed, progress remains slow–just 6.6% improvement over 16 years.
The Motherhood Penalty
A major contributor to the persistence of the gender pay gap is the so-called “Motherhood Penalty.” Women typically shoulder more childcare and eldercare responsibilities, leading to reduced work hours, career interruptions, and lower earnings. Some organizations still view women as higher-risk hires, assuming that they’re more likely to leave the workforce after having children.
Compounding this issue, many companies offer generous maternity leave beyond federal Family and Medical Leave Act requirements, but fail to provide comparable benefits to new fathers.
Beyond Simply Paying Women More
The solution isn’t just raising women’s wages–though that’s certainly part of it. True equity requires addressing the underlying societal expectations and workplace experiences of both men and women.
Equal Parental Leave: A Powerful Solution
Organizations must:
Provide equal parental leave for all parents
Actively encourage men to utilize their full leave benefits
Eliminate the “Motherhood Penalty” by ensuring career interruptions impact all parents equally–i.e. Give men the same amount of time off to bond with their new children.
Evidence of Success
A 2022 World Economic Forum study confirms this approach works, and while long term impacts are still being studies, organizations like McKinsey have confirmed the short-term impact of implementing such policies is well worth it to organizations. Companies offering robust paternity leave show:
-Smaller gender pay gaps
More equal distribution of caregiving responsibilities
Better father-child bonding and associated improved childhood development outcomes
Higher employee satisfaction, retention and productivity
Equal parental leave represents a win-win opportunity. Women advance professionally without penalty, men develop stronger family bonds, and organizations benefit from a more satisfied, productive workforce.