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Work and children in Spain: challenges and opportunities for equality between men and women

Author

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  • Hupkau, Claudia
  • Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer

Abstract

Over the past decades, Spain has seen a striking convergence between women’s and men’s participation in the labour market. However, this convergence has stalled since the early 2010s. We show that women still fare worse in several important labour market dimensions. Gender inequalities are further aggravated among people with children. Women with children under 16 are much more likely to be unemployed, work part-time or on temporary contracts than men with children of the same age. We show that it is unlikely that preferences alone can account for these gaps. A review of the evidence shows that family policies, such as paternity leave expansions, financial incentives in the form of tax credits for working mothers and subsidised or free childcare for very young children, could help reduce the motherhood penalty. However, such policies are likely to be more effective if combined with advances in breaking up traditional gender roles.

Suggested Citation

  • Hupkau, Claudia & Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer, 2022. "Work and children in Spain: challenges and opportunities for equality between men and women," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112541, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:112541
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/112541/
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Pomares Varo, Gema, 2023. "Breaking the marriage trap: unilateral divorce and its effects on labor supply of married women," UC3M Working papers. Economics 37157, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    2. Maite BLÁZQUEZ & Ainhoa HERRARTE & Ana I. MORO-EGIDO, 2024. "Has the COVID-19 pandemic widened the gender gap in paid work hours in Spain?," JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 90(2), pages 313-348, June.
    3. Diachkova, Anna V. & Kontoboitseva, Anna E., 2022. "Economic Benefits of gender equality: comparing EU and BRICS countries," Economic Consultant, Roman I. Ostapenko, vol. 37(1), pages 4-15.
    4. Juan S. Mora-Sanguinetti & Laura Hospido & Andrés Atienza-Maeso, 2024. "Is Equality Regulation Effective in Reducing Gender Gaps in the Labor Market? Quantification and Evidence for Spain," Working papers 943, Banque de France.
    5. Zuazu, Izaskun, 2024. "Gender and the pandemic in political ideology: The case of Spain," ifso working paper series 37, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Socioeconomics (ifso).
    6. Blázquez, Maite & Herrarte, Ainhoa & Moro-Egido, Ana I., 2023. "Gender differences in the effect of teleworking on job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    7. Lafuente, Cristina & Ruland, Astrid & Santaeulàlia-Llopis, Raül & Visschers, Ludo, 2023. "The effects of Covid-19 on couples’ job tenures: Mothers have it worse," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    family policy; gender gaps; inequality; motherhood penalty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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