How many jobs have you applied for? Most advertise pay ranges rather than a fixed salary. It
turns out that women end up at the bottom of the range more often than men.
That may be true, but let's reverse roles for a moment here. For example, imagine being a guy and trying to convince your wife to work 40 hours a week so you can stay at home.
Women are encouraged to be less assertive and aggressive in general, and when
they do push they tend to be judged harshly for it.
Yes, and men are encouraged to be good workers and are judged harshly if they push to not.
Society perceives the role of a woman to be submissive. society perceives the role of a man to be a provider. Honestly ask yourself which do you think of the "better" position:
A) Being expected to be generally "submissive" and "feminine."
And if you decide you're not happy, you can move on and you get to decide what happens to your children and you'll probably be handed a house, and receive child support payments until they're 18.
B) Being expected to spend 40 hours every week for the next 40 years working for somebody whether or not you like it. If you have dreams or ambitions, something that you want to do with your life...those ambitions re less important than spending 50% of your waking hours working to support your family. People will judge you based on how good of a provider you are. If your wife has a friend whose husband makes more money, she may feel entitled to no longer "be submissive," complain, withhold sex, and generally manipulate you and make you feel bad for it.
And if your wife decides to move on, you'll be expected to give up your children and the house you've been paying for for the past decade or so, plus you'll be expected to pay money to the woman who left you for possibly decades.
Do you really have it so terrible?