Press Release 08/03/2023

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY. 2023

The proportion of women in managerial positions dropped by more than 4 percentage points between 2015-2021 and the percentage of men in the highest income brackets was three times that of women

The incomplete incorporation of women into the labour market, worse conditions and double shifts are factors that influence women’s chances of gaining access to positions of power

Women in the Basque Country are under-represented in positions of power in relation to their demographic weight, especially in the private sphere, according to a report on the leadership of women, drawn up by Eustat, the Basque Statistics Institute, to mark International Women’s Day.

The Gender Equality Index (GEI), a synthetic indicator that summarises on a scale from 1, which signifies total inequality, to 100, which signifies total equality, stood at 73.1 for the Basque Country in the year 2019 (the latest figure available), two points more than two years ago. Of the six dimensions contained in the Index (Employment, Money, Knowledge, Time, Power and Health), the worst score was registered in the Power dimension, specifically, 62.7. The representation of women in the sphere of economic and social power fell far short of equality, standing at 45.1 and 56.5, respectively, while in the sphere of public/political power, in which equality is regulated by Law, it reached 96.7, demonstrating the difference between the public/political sphere and the private/economic sphere in terms of the distribution of power.

Managerial positions and economic power

According to data from the report, the proportion of women in managerial positions in the Basque Country dropped by more than 4 percentage points between 2015 and 2021. In 2021, 32.26% of managerial positions (public and private sphere) were filled by women, falling to 25.58% in the case of senior positions, while female entrepreneurs accounted for 33.41%.

Income, which is related to power, was another of the indicators analysed. It is worth noting that the percentage of men in the highest income brackets was three times that of women. Specifically, in the highest bracket (> €102,000), the percentage of men was 1.48%, while that of women was 0.47%. Furthermore, the average personal income of women continued to be lower (by almost 9,500 euros) than that of men and this gap has not narrowed over the last 15 years.

Incomplete incorporation of women into the labour market, worse conditions and double shifts

The incomplete incorporation of women into the labour market and in worse conditions, despite having a higher level of education, as well as the burden of household chores and caring for children and dependents, are all factors that influence women's chances of career advancement and access to positions of power and leadership.

According to the data, on average, 504,100 women were working or willing to work in 2022, compared to 546,400 men. Although the gap has been gradually narrowing since data first became available (in 1985, there were more than twice as many active men as active women), the incorporation of women into the labour market has taken place under worse conditions, given that men enjoy a higher number of permanent and full-time contracts.

Thus, on average, 273,000 women signed a permanent contract, compared to 303,700 men. However, in the case of temporary contracts, 115,200 were signed by women and 88,200 by men, and although the total is much lower, well over twice as many women as men took a job without a contract (2,300 compared to 5,700).

Likewise, the percentage of women who were employed on a part-time contract in the Basque Country was three times higher than that of men. In 2020, the most recent year for which there is available data, 22.7% of working women were employed on a part-time contract, while this figure was 7% in the case of men.

Finally, another decisive factor that may explain the lower presence of women in the labour market and in more unfavourable conditions, limiting their career prospects to a greater extent than men, can be found in work-life balance and double shifts. It is noteworthy that women spend more hours per day than men on household chores and caring for children and dependants. Specifically, in 2021 they spent an average of 9.5 hours per day on such tasks, while men spent 6.5 hours. From 2011 onwards, the number of hours has remained stable at approximately 9.5 hours per day.

Full report: Equality Between Women and Men in the Basque Country. 2023

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel.: 945 01 75 62