It would be wrong to think that advancements haven’t been made when it comes to equality, but similarly, it would be wrong to think that the battle has been won. According to studies, there is still a sizeable wage gap between the genders, and if things are going to get better, then it’s important that additionally steps are taken to help correct this imbalance.

One of the challenges of this is that many people already believe that everything has already been done. But actually, there could be a clear reason why the initiatives have thus far failed to have as big an impact as they could have done: the unconscious biases of recruiters. While many recruiters don’t mean to, they very often end up favoring males over females. Studies have shown that recruiters look at applications of men more than they look at applications from women.

One potential solution is to use AI and big data to make things more equal. The data could be used to create standardized systems for hiring, one that would not focus on genders, but the skills and attributes of the applicant. Of course, there are challenges to these systems, and they won’t solve all problems (for example, how to get more females to apply to advanced positions in the first place), but the promise is there.

It’s in everyone’s interest to balance the wage gap. To learn more about the issue and how big data could help, take a look at the infographic from the University of Maryland below.

Infographic by University of Maryland University of Maryland