By Paula Iudica

Temporarily locating the entry of women into the workplace is difficult. The Industrial Revolution and World War II are located as historical moments in which women began to occupy jobs previously only held by men. However, women have worked since the beginning of humanity. For some time now, the women's movement has made visible the unpaid domestic and care work that falls, even in the 21st century, on our shoulders. Although today we are inserted in the labor market, it is still heavily affected by gender inequality.

Globally we have fewer and worse jobs, the unemployment rate for women is always higher. We are more likely to work informally, which does not allow us to access basic labor rights, or part-time, thus obtaining a lower salary. Balancing paid work with housework and child care is difficult: work hours are rigid, maternity leave is short, and paternity leave is virtually non-existent. When many women have children, they are forced to abandon their jobs and their professional development for long periods (or forever). Within the formal market we are not exempt from the consequences of this inequality: the salary gap and the glass ceiling that puts up barriers to promotion and to occupy decision-making positions are commonplace. In the world of new technologies, there is a digital gender gap that translates into fewer women using ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies), barriers to their access and use, and inequalities in the production of information. and content. Women have little participation in science and technology. One of its main causes: gender stereotypes, which from an early age exclude us from certain activities.

The fight for equality in the labor market is part of the fight against gender violence. Sexual harassment is also common in the workplace. Few are those who are encouraged to report these situations, due to lack of support and fear of losing their job, which is what generally happens.

Inequity in income, in access to productive resources, in control over property and in access to the labor market translates into a lack of resources and economic dependence that puts women in a vulnerable situation and limits our freedom of action and decision-making. For those who are in a situation of violence, it necessarily hinders the search for a way out as their chances of access to housing and their ability to sustain themselves financially are reduced. Gender inequality in the labor market is nothing more than a reflection of the patriarchal society that persists and resists, finding new mechanisms to perpetuate the subjugation of women, impacting the different areas of life.

Illustration: Davide Bonazzi