I work under the assumption that my employer wants to pay me as little as possible and still retain my services. There's no "men who control the economy" who are setting wages based on the gender % of the workers. Truck drivers get paid more than early childhood educators because driving a truck is a lousy job that is vital to the survival any company that employs them- ECE, not so much. It's supply and demand. There's no conspiracy going on where a group of men are deciding which jobs are going to get paid more. It's not happening. And while there may have been cases where women were being paid less than a male counterpart for the same job that's just anecdotal and not reflective of our economy as a whole.