When women try to be the breadwinners, they often fail. When we live in a society that does not recognize the achievements or capabilities of both genders, a wage gap emerges. The often cited statistic suggests that women make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

But for some, this point might be contended.

Some may attribute the wage gap between the genders to a matter of career choice, decision to have children or the number of hours worked per week. Men are more likely to work more than 40 hours per week than their female counterparts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Yet single women who have never married and do not have children earn on average only 96 percent of what men earn, according to the BLS. While personal decisions will influence the direction of your income, women cannot escape the wage gap, regardless of their career choices.

The wage gap may be expected in predominantly male careers as well as in fields dominated by women, men will still earn, on average, a higher median pay.

For instance, women occupy about 80 percent of the seats in American veterinary schools, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Yet, as of 2011, the median income for women hovered around $88,000 while for men, it’s about $120,000.

Currently, women comprise 74 percent of the early career psychologists, according to American Psychological Association’s (APA) Center for Workforce Studies. But, for the field, men earn anywhere from $16,000 to $39,000 more than their female counterparts on a yearly basis, according the APA.

Even in the prestigious field of human medicine, women generally will earn less. For instance, among 800 physicians who received a competitive grant early in their career, women earned, on average, about $12,000 less than men per year, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System and Duke University.

While the wage gap between genders is one symptom of a pervasive problem, the culture of sexism suggests far larger implications. As more women enter the workforce, whole occupations change in terms of stability and prestige.

The feminization of previously male-dominated fields presents an unusual phenomenon. As more women enter a specific career path, occupational prestige, employment security and real earnings decrease, according to a paper published by Southern Methodist University.

To further add insult to injury, men avoid college majors or academic fields that are comprised of 24 to 54 percent women, according to the same paper. In whole, this suggests that as more women enter the workforce, the prospects of a livelihood decrease for both parties.

The spirit of feminism attempted to give women the option to enter the workforce, but when wages and stability decrease as the male to female ratio reaches equilibrium, the spectrum swings. While the traditional woman was confined to the domestic sphere, with the current trend, the modern woman will soon no longer have the option to stay at home.

The goal of gender equality sought to give both men and women the choice in careers and in lifestyles. However, even though we’ve fought for a place for women in the workplace, we’re not quite there yet.