How do women's career opportunities affect the well-being of the family and children?
Although women have advanced in the labor market in recent decades, gender gaps persist, with women underrepresented in high-ranking professional positions. Research shows that the unequal distribution of childcare and household work within families is an important cause of the lack of gender equality in the labor market.
Details
- Period: 2024-01-01 – 2026-12-31
- Budget: 4,800,528 SEK
- Funder: Riksbankens jubileumsfond
- Type of funding: Projektbidrag
About the project
Although women have advanced in the labor market in recent decades, gender gaps persist, with women being underrepresented in high-ranking professional positions. Research shows that the unequal distribution of childcare and housework within families is an important cause of the lack of gender equality in the labor market. The project aims to increase understanding of the career constraints that women face in the labor market. More specifically, it examines how gender differences in careers affect relationships within families.
The first project examines how the distribution of labor supply and childcare is affected by a parent being promoted at work. The second project examines how a promotion affects parents' health, well-being and the likelihood of divorce. The third project examines how children's health and school performance are affected by a parent being promoted. Of particular importance is to shed light on whether and if so how the effects differ depending on which parent is promoted.
The project consists mainly of empirical research using Swedish register data. Great emphasis is placed on measuring causal effects of promotion using modern empirical methods and natural experiments. Thanks to unique data bases for register research and Sweden's role as a pioneer in gender equality reforms, the project will contribute to the research front and the policy debate on the remaining obstacles to a more equal labour market.