HR4RS stamp
Daria Efimova
International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8, which commemorates the struggle of women in different spheres of society. One of these particularly vulnerable areas is the labor sector. The salary gap, discrimination and abuse in the workplace continue to be the reality of thousands of women around the world.
In order to shed light on this topic, the platform “Being a woman and working” has launched the national congress “Being a woman in the labor market”. The event was born from the hands of professors and researchers from the Rey Juan Carlos University: María Luisa Molero Marañón, Professor of Labor Law and Social Security, María del Mar Heras Hernánez, professor of Civil Law, and María Begoña García Gil, professor Labor Law and Social Security, among others.
The congress will take place on March 9 and 10 at the Vicálvaro campus. Its complete program can be consulted through this link. It has aroused great interest in the university community: it already has more than 270 registered attendees. The congress also has the recognition of 0,8 RAC credits.
Share results and discuss the future
One of the main objectives of "Being a woman in the labor market" is to publicize the research results of those involved in the project, which has been funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. In this way, it brings together 22 professors from 10 different universities, including the universities of Brescia, Mercatorum Rome and Stockholm. "By doing mobility, you end up making contact with the different professors who study the same as you, but in another sociocultural context, that greatly enriches the congress," explains María Begoña García Gil, one of the coordinators of the event. Researchers from the universities of Valladolid, Seville, the Complutense University of Madrid and the UNED, among others, will also be present; all experts in areas related to economy, work and equality.
Among the topics to be discussed are the general panorama of the Spanish labor market, the challenges of reconciling professional and family life, and gender-based violence at work. On the other hand, there is also the issue of dignifying work related to care, which continues to be largely invisible in today's society; and studies related to working time and the impact it has on women's lives. After each presentation, a discussion forum is opened in which both the guests and the public participate, in order to generate an interactive space.
The importance of visibility
According to the latest studies, in the last year working women have worked 46 days without receiving the corresponding remuneration compared to their male colleagues. Despite growing concern about discrimination against women in the labor market, the pay gap remains substantial. Although there are already legal tools to combat this type of discrimination, focusing on and educating about these problems is the best way to continue advancing in terms of equality. “We cannot assume and understand the importance of women in the labor market if we are not informed about it”, concludes María Begoña García. “We still have a long way to go, and making this problem visible is the best way to do it.”