In my presentation I will discuss three groups of mechanisms that could account for the slowly dissolving gender wage and rank gaps. The first mechanism focuses on what employers do, demand factors, the second on what employees do, the supply factors, and the third on other influence, institutional factors. Using employer-employee matched data from different institutional regimes, Sweden, Norway and US three questions will be addressed. 1. Do employers discriminate in a systematic way against women? 2. Do women and men facing the same opportunities make different career choices? 3. Do family friendly policies, like those in place in Sweden, benefit women's careers?