The impact of economic crisis on gender in the Southern European countries

Abstract

The contribution analyses the impact of the economic crisis on gender equality. The issue has been frequently set aside because of its devastating overall effects on employment. The economic crisis has negatively affected the situation of women in the labour market, who were already at a disadvantage. The worsening in labour market conditions has restrained the opportunities for women and their families, fostering individual arrangements to cope with the needs of the economic crisis. In turn, Austerity policies have introduced additional constraints to the already scarce welfare provisions in the area, by conditioning the availability of public resources. To conclude, an appeal is made to underscore the need to combine political measures aimed at counteracting the economic recession with the preservation of appropriate levels of equality and welfare for the society as a whole.