Over the years, the incorporation of women into the labor market has been a fact that has contributed to transforming the economic reality worldwide. In the case of Spain, we can witness an important change in the active population and in the associated laws that protect women. So, do you want to know more about the evolution of employment in Spain and female participation? Continue reading this article!

How do women join the Spanish working world?

Since the enactment of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, there has been a change in the inequality between men and women. This led to a new perspective on the female labor market that was observed throughout the 20th century.

At the time of the establishment of the republic, the number of women working represented a minority of 9% of the total working population and 12% of the total working population.

Spanish women used to work only in the home. Nowadays, however, it is common for them to work in different business sectors.

On the other hand, according to data from the INE’s Labor Force Survey, by 2021 Spain’s working population stood at 23 million people, of which 19 million were employed and more than 9 million were women.

In this regard, the female employment rate worldwide stands at 43.8% and in Spain it amounts to 46% so far.

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Laws favoring equality and the exercise of women’s rights in Spain

Article 14 of the Spanish Constitution proclaims equality before the law, and prohibits any type of discrimination based on sex, race or religion.

The Council of Ministers’ agreement of March 4, 2005 contributes to reducing inequality in various areas of life, such as employment, business, reconciliation of work and family life, and gender violence, among others.

Also noteworthy is a Plan for Gender Equality in the General State Administration, which establishes measures to guarantee real equality of opportunity between men and women in access to and performance of public service.

The 2008-2011 Strategic Plan for Equal Opportunities takes into account the redefinition of the citizenship model, the empowerment of women, and the mainstreaming of the gender perspective.

In the Resolution of May 20, 2011, the First Plan for Equality between men and women in the General State Administration and its Autonomous Organizations was approved.

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What positions do women hold today?

The evolution of Spanish women in the labor market has become increasingly successful, as it is now common to find women in corporate jobs, hear about women who have started their own businesses, programs that support their talent, among other developments.

According to the report “Women In Business 2021”, by 2010 Spain was in the top 10 worldwide in terms of the presence of women in management positions, estimated at approximately 34%. Countries such as Germany, the United States, France and Singapore also show significant progress.

And you may ask yourself, how can this be reflected in the different areas of Spain? Well, the main autonomous communities that have stood out for their female presence in important positions are Madrid (39%), Catalonia (32%), Galicia (31%), Andalusia (26%), the Basque Country (24%), and the Valencian Community (23%).

In addition, human resources, technology, telecommunications and media industries tend to have the largest presence of female managers in the country.

With respect to the percentage of women occupying higher bodies and senior positions in the General State Administration, there was an increase of 43.7%.

Below, you can see the main sectors in which women performed work activities by 2021:

• Hospitality (8.5%)

• Education (10.7%)

• Health and social services activities (15.8%)

• Financial and social insurance activities (2.8)

• Activities in households as domestic staff (5.3%)

• Personal, scientific and technical activities (6%)

• Administrative activities and auxiliary services (6.3%)

• Wholesale and retail trade (16%)

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Although equality between men and women continues to be one of the greatest challenges in the various countries of the world, we are currently witnessing a relatively notable incorporation of women into the labor market.

The truth is that women have gone from being dedicated to domestic chores in the home to generating their own income and asserting their rights, thus reaching CEO positions or other positions in the business and administrative sector.

In TAS Consulting we always want to offer you the best updates on the business and entrepreneurial movement in Spain. So, if you want to stay informed, please visit our blog and check out the rest of our articles.