Average male pay is higher than average female pay for a simple reason. Despite decades of enforced equality, women still have babies, and men still don't. So women who wish to spend any substantial time at all with their own offspring will fall behind in their careers, and their earnings will be less.

Peter Hitchens' quote addresses the gender pay gap and suggests that one of the primary reasons for the disparity in earnings between men and women is the biological reality that women have babies and typically bear the responsibility of child-rearing. Hitchens argues that despite decades of enforced equality, women still face challenges in balancing their career aspirations with the demands of motherhood. This leads to the idea that women who take time off or scale back their professional commitments to raise children will inevitably fall behind in their careers and earn less than men, who are generally unaffected by this dynamic.

Hitchens’ quote underscores the argument that biological differences, such as pregnancy and childbirth, have a significant impact on the professional trajectory of women, regardless of legal or societal efforts to promote gender equality. He suggests that, even with advancements in women’s rights and workplace policies aimed at closing the gender gap, the physical and emotional responsibility of parenting still disproportionately affects women’s earning potential. In this sense, the quote highlights a persistent challenge that women face, even in modern and more equitable societies.

The origin of this quote can be traced to Peter Hitchens’ commentary on social issues and his often controversial views on feminism, gender equality, and family structures. Known for his conservative stance, Hitchens frequently critiques modern society's approach to equality, suggesting that the laws and policies intended to create fairness between men and women don’t fully account for the biological and social realities that shape people's lives. In this case, he points to the economic implications of motherhood as a major factor that still keeps women from achieving full economic parity with men.

Ultimately, Hitchens’ quote highlights the ongoing struggle between biological realities and societal expectations when it comes to gender equality. While much progress has been made, the economic consequences of women’s roles as mothers continue to affect their career trajectories and overall earnings, pointing to a deeper, systemic challenge in achieving true equality between the sexes.