Why don't these "strong and independent women" take up riskier jobs to make up for the wage gap?

AMEN! im a woman, and i agree with you.

That's the sort of problem in today's society, librarians getting paid more then garbage men or women, terrible really.

I admit I am weak and dependent so I don't need an excuse.

@ Old's cool..."mild mannered?"....try feisty.

Good question! As a woman, I always had a problem with the feminist movement demanding more women in certain under-represented fields, but found it odd they never sought to do it mining, or oil-rig work, or other dangerous jobs. Makes me kind of suspect.

I work with the elderly mentally infirm with challenging behaviour. This has resulted in stitches, black eyes, bruises, cuts and untold split lips. I get £6.20 an hour. Before that I worked in A&E and got paid a little more to get beaten up by drunks. I got paid most (£8 an hour ) to work with adults with learning disabilities until a dining room chair in the kneecap with great force kept me off work for a couple of months. Yes, bin men get paid more than this because rubbish is obviously much more valuable than elderly and disabled people. The majority of people who work in social care where they get beaten up a lot are women. We do this because helping people and making a difference is important to us and rewarding.

Oh, but we do. But satiate The Queen's curiosity GIRL: what doeth THOU for a living - ?

I have known some women taking "riskier" jobs and have been willing to work in those kinds of jobs but they werent taken seriosly/given the chance coz of the whole "its a man's job". but ->most<- women WILL avoid those type of jobs, I'll give you that. But dont generalize.

Well the first problem is that the riskier jobs often require hard work, getting extremely dirty , having no choice but to work overtime and possibly being away from your family a lot longer than you want to. This does not sit well with some women.