Is there a wage gap? …It seems overwhelmingly likely that there is.

But what causes it? …Here’s where things get interesting.

Traditional thinking tells us it’s from a devaluing or outright hatred of women – or a prioritizing of men – that happens almost fractally from the individual level, through to the whole-of-society level. The wage gap is just another biproduct of living in a patriarchal world.

However, could the root cause actually be closer to home? Could it be a much younger problem?

This might seem like an academic distraction, but it’s not. If it turns out the traditional approach leads us to bark up the wrong tree, we stand no chance of solving the problem – which would seem like a strong motivator to make sure we get this correct.

Also, related: Where are all the women? Why do so many sectors struggle to get beyond about 33% female representation?