[belorn]

The problem with such theory is that there is plenty of data from countries with different amount of male childcare, and by now it should be clear if increase male child care results in increase pay for women.

For example, Sweden. The data trend has been steady for the last 50 years or so that the work force is getting more and more gender segregated, with women prioritizing jobs that has high social status but below average pay. During that time, the trend has also been steady with fathers spending more time with their children, without the "gender gap" going down. As correlation goes, we could almost claim that fathers spending time with children would increase the economical difference between men and women.

A more reasonable conclusion could be that childcare ratios might effect pay difference within the same profession/title, but that aspect has been completely dwarfed in respect to the difference choices of work profession that women and men do.

[fragola]

Swedish mothers still take four times as much time off as Swedish fathers: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/world/europe/10iht-sweden....

Despite this, the NYT reports in the article that women's paychecks are benefiting from all the paternal involvement in childcare.

[belorn]

I think you miss read there, I said that the trend is that Swedish fathers take more time with child care now than in the past. As in, 50 years ago, fathers spent less time on child care than fathers today do.

In 1990, mothers spent about 10 times more than fathers. 20 years later, than number is less than half of that. Has the drastic effect of doubling the number of days that fathers spend on child care and cutting the days mothers spend by almost a third had any measurable effect on wages for women in general? That linked article below estimate that Sweden will have 50/50 childcare by 2040, so can we predict with data supported evidence that income differences between genders will be reduced to 0 by the same year? I doubt that, and I have not seen any numbers that points towards it.

http://www.dn.se/ekonomi/mannen-tar-ut-allt-fler-dagar/

[fragola]

I don't see how I misread at all. 4x as much time off for the mother vs the father still tips the calculus to the point where it makes sense for employers to discriminate.

IMO it's premature to congratulate Sweden's supposed gender equality when the disparity is that huge -- Sweden's women still spend 400% of the time as their male counterparts on childcare. That's huge.

[belorn]

If someone want to put blind faith in their theory, then good luck. I personally want evidence to support my theories, where data can either prove or disprove it.

Going from 10% to 25% is significant, and 200% increase is huge by any standard. I doubt a scenario where there won't be any change in wages until its 50/50 and then by some flip of a switch all women will suddenly earn 20% more.