The importance of Intersectionality for Gender Equality in the Labor Market Analysis

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to use intersectionality framework to question the neoliberal rhetoric that currently characterizes gender equality policies in the labor market. While recent guidelines attribute the chances of entering and advancing in the labor market primarily to personal merits and talents, they also provide a homogeneous view of the female population that fails to take into account the significant differences among women and result in the creation of several barriers that hinder access to and participation in the labor market. This paper then intends to reflect on how the use of an intersectional perspective is necessary to better analyse inequalities in the labor market and to design policy actions that are more attentive to women’s overlapping identities, roles, and experiences to understand the barriers, challenges, obstacles, and opportunities they face.

Keywords: intersectionality; labour market, inequalities; gender; gender equality.