There are different policies for equality in employment, different “equality plans”, different guidelines, etc. at various levels (European, national, Autonomous Community, etc.) which aim to reduce inequality between men and women in labour matters, such as wages, employment rates, etc....

During the period 1808-1936, the liberal state dismantled the old system of religious charity belonging to the Ancien Régime, replacing it with public charity, conceived as a welfare instrument given the social risks represented by poverty, and as a means of controlling and converting the poor...

Analysis of gender differences in the labour market has given rise to many theories aiming to explain the situation. Most of them are based on a neo-classical economic approach but some inter-disciplinary paradigms adopt a broader focus. This article first analyses empirical evidence from the...

Since the 1990s we have witnessed how the notion of “social enterprises” has emerged in most European countries under the combined pressure of a growth in the need for people and in the need for jobs. These new enterprises generally take the form of associations or cooperatives, which are...

Gender diversity can be considered a useful strategy for improving equal opportunities in the labour market. It is also a valid criterion for optimising human resources in management professions. Unlike other strategies for promoting equal opportunities that have been applied in political or...

This article draws comparisons between the various different proposals put forward for the creation of a self-employment law in Spain. The first of these proposals has been drawn up by an Expert Committee appointed by the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs and the other three, by...

One of the main objectives of the employment policies currently being implemented in the Spanish labour market is to promote and develop self-employment. This article studies and analyses the current situation and the recent growth of self-employment in Spain, and provides a number of...

The main objective of this article is to analyse women’s and men’s relationships with work, especially with the labour market. It covers matters such as training, labour activity, unemployment, job segregation, remuneration and job insecurity. Although the analysis focuses on the labour...

This paper analyses a modern-day problem: the cost to government of jobs in social integration enterprises. At present there is a debate concerning their positive (subsidy-related) and negative aspects (regarding the savings they generate in social post-programmes and the revenue generated...

This article assesses explanations for the different way in which women participate in cooperatives as opposed to employee-owned companies (regardless of whether they are limited or not). It takes as its basis existing empirical evidence on female participation in these enterprises, evidence...