Gender Equality, Inclusive Growth, and Labour Markets

The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate how gender inequalities in society are perpetuated and reinforced by market forces in ways that block women’s capacity to contribute to more inclusive forms of economic progress. The chapter begins by exploring how mainstream and feminist economics have understood labour market inequalities and outlines a conceptual framework to guide an empirical analysis of the constraints on women’s efforts to earn a livelihood. It then provides an empirical overview of the intersectional stratification of market opportunities, how gender overlaps with other socioeconomic inequalities in determining the position of men and women within the occupational hierarchies of the market. Next it turns to explore the ways that gender inequalities within and beyond the household operate to constrain women’s ability to take up paid work and restrict the kinds of work they can do. Following this, the text draws on studies of waged workers and self-employment to provide a more detailed illustration of these constraints as they play out in the labour market. It concludes by drawing out the policy implications of the analysis.