The Harvard professor won the award Monday for her analysis of women’s pay and labour market participation in the U.S. over 200 years. She is the third woman to have received the Nobel Prize in economics. (The Logic)

Talking Point: Goldin’s work found changing social norms around women’s responsibilities for the home and family are key factors in understanding gender-based gaps in workplaces. While earnings discrepancies are traditionally explained by choices in education or occupation, Goldin’s work showed that gaps persist for men and women in the same line of work and are largely based on the birth of a first child. “The fact is, the past is always with us and it impacts what we’re able to do,” she told The Washington Post. “And that’s important when you’re looking at the shift of women from the home into the economic marketplace.” Last week, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to imprisoned Irani activist Narges Mohammadi for her campaign against the oppression of women in Iran.