FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND SOCIETY | Seminar
A comparative study of female labour participation

Understanding Gender Gaps in Labour Markets

While considerable progress has been made over the last 50 years, gender disparities across a variety of labour market dimensions remain stubbornly persistent. Specifically, the substantial variation in female labour force participation (FLFP) across countries is puzzling. While women’s labour force participation rates have risen in many countries over recent decades, rates remain quite low in some countries and regions. Despite countries catching up in GDP, we can still observe large and persistent differences in FLPFs, even between apparently economically similar countries.

Institutions, norms and policies

To understand this international variation, it is important to consider differences across countries in institutions, non-economic factors such as cultural or social norms, and public policies. The goal of this project is to expand the theoretical discussion and the empirical base on how gender inequality arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles within society.

At this seminar, we will present an international, comparative project. We will present some early results from the project, but also present upcoming studies of the project.

Presenters

• Debra Shepherd, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
• Peter Gladoić Håkansson, Associate Professor, Department of Society, Culture and Identity, Malmö University, Sweden.
• Ferran Mañe, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain.