Policies that promote more equal access to education (e.g. no early tracking or improving the provision of early childhood care) are also likely to reduce income inequality. Although not investigated in this paper, legal extensions of collective wage agreements may have similar effects. The empirical analysis carried out in this paper suggests that gender differences in working hours and choice of occupation and sector account for a sizable part of the earnings gap. Policies to reduce these differences (e.g. improvements in the access to childcare) could thus lead to more equal labour market outcomes among men and women. A large part of the gender earnings gap remains unexplained after accounting for other factors, indicating that policies that reduce gender discrimination may also help. One example are the legal extension of collective wage agreements.