As a whole, religions place women in subservient statuses, and portray them as worth less and being less productive.

Religion is paternal, misogynistic, and entirely oblivious to womens health or perspectives.
Their portrayal of female characters are shallow and two dimensional and come in two types saints or whores.
Women, do you really think an old white man wearing weird clothes and only reads one book has any advise thats pertinent to your life or situation?
I don't think so!

Actually though, prayer may not be free for men. I have read that there is a lot of research which says that, raising the status and earnings of women, raises the economy better than any other single thing that you can do. So keeping the pay gap actually makes everyone poorer. (As does a high rich poor divide as well.)

A lot of discontent in religious communities stems from the idea that. 'If we have the best religion, and are the favourites of god. Why are we poor, while many of the secular are rich.' And the natural conclusion is of course that everyone else is cheating, or even in league with the devil, therefore lets buy some guns and start shooting people. Because of course the one thing never to be considered, is that it may be your stupid religion that is one of the main, (perhaps not only) factors keeping you poor.

Who would have guessed it.