There are gender-specific inequalities in the working environment in Switzerland with regard to paid employment, family work and housework, and volunteer work. In this project the researchers examine the situation in different cantons and identify the decisive political, institutional and sociocultural factors.
Background
Women continue to be disadvantaged in the working environment. They have lower labour force participation rates than men and are usually paid less than men. They are overrepresented among people in precarious employment and among the non-registered unemployed and underrepresented at higher management levels in large companies. Similar patterns can be found in other areas: unpaid family work and housework, care work and helping relatives and neighbours. Also in volunteer work, women mainly perform basic tasks, whereas men often assume leadership roles with greater prestige.
Aim
Up to now there has been little research on differences between the cantons with regard to discernible inequalities in working life or to the political, institutional and social structural factors responsible. In addition, there are few comparative studies that consider paid employment, unpaid family and housework, and volunteer work. The project aims to close these research gaps.
First, the researchers will group the cantons based on an analysis of inter-cantonal differences. In a further step, they will examine the influence of individual and context features on the gender-specific inequalities. Using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) they will also seek to identify historical and institutional factors that can explain cantonal inequalities in the working environment.
Significance
This project offers a chance to identify the factors that foster models of labour division (best case) that are favourable for gender equality policy. The findings will support the development of political measures for the equality of women and men in the working environment.
Original title: Geschlechtsspezifische Ungleichheiten in der schweizerischen Arbeitswelt: Politische und institutionelle Einflussfaktoren
Grant: CHF 256‘980.-
Duration: 30 months
Project leaders
- Professor Michael Nollert, Departement Sozialwissenschaften, University of Fribourg,
- Dr. Ruedi Epple, Departement Sozialwissenschaften, University of Fribourg
- Dr. Sebastian Schief, Departement Sozialwissenschaften, University of Fribourg