Feminization of occupations and its effect on gender wage gap in South Mediterranean Countries

The issue of gender equality in the labour market is an important one not only for the wider norm of fairness but also more specifically for economic development and the efficient utilization of (human) resources in the economy. For countries in middle levels of development, such as those of the MENA economies, this issue is thus particularly important.

For this region, however, the issue is additionally important due to the traditional role that women play in the economy and the cultural (including religious) beliefs that drive gender relations in these countries.

Gender inequality in the labour market can take different forms. From inequalities in access to employment and labour force participation, to inequalities in pay (gender wage gap) and in the way different workforce characteristics are rewarded in the job market (wage penalties), to differences in the occupational structure of employment (occupational shorting) and in career trajectories (glass ceilings and sticky floors)...