During wartime women in the United States were encouraged to enter the labor force. However, they received less money for the same work. When men returned home from the war, the jobs were usually given to them, except in cases where employers wanted to continue paying the lower wages that women received. Wartime work for women had an enormous impact on their outlook and expectations. This is not to say that women have equal pay or equal jobs.
Several factors contribute to the discrepancy between male and female wages and job types.
I feel the most important factor is that women are more likely to take part-time jobs because they remain the primary caretakers of children. You should check out 20 Facts on Working Women brought to you by the United States Department of Labor. The United States Department of Labor states that no matter how they measure it, women earn less money than men. Below is a world map showing women's earnings as a proportion of men's earnings. The lack of full representation of women in Corporate America was examined via the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, which was enacted through the Civil Rights Act of 1991.