This is a gross generalization, but men are more likely to negotiate aggressively. Sumrow said that women tend to accept the offer on the table, something a male candidate would generally try to avoid. An underpriced base salary is difficult to correct and can seriously impair long-term earning potential. Know when to stand up, and how to price yourself and market yourself and sell yourself in the marketplace. Salary is not a gift.
Salary is fair compensation for services.
And yet, many critics assert that women suffer some career handicap being excluded from the old boys' network of venues and jobs. If women aren't there, they can't play. It's not as though these 'informal meetings' are just stumbled upon. Executives make conscious decisions to meet at clubs and places where women are not usually present. It's an excuse not to include women.