Equality, diversity and non-discrimination (gender)

EPSU-CEMR “Future of the Workplace” project -
Providing high quality, modern and sustainable jobs within local and regional government

Theme n°4

Equality, diversity and non-discrimination (gender)

The position of women in local and regional government

Women make up a high proportion of those employed in local and regional government. Figures from nine EU states are set out in the table and they show that the percentage of women working in the sector varies from 42.0% in regional government (the provinces) in the Netherlands (one of the few areas where women make up less than half) to 80.5% in regional government in Sweden. The difference between states are explained in part by variations in women’s overall levels of employment (52.0% in Spain but 66.7% in Germany for example), in part by the extent of part-time working (62% of the women working in local government in the UK are employed part-time), and in part by the variation in tasks undertaken by local government in the different countries. (In France, for example, neither education nor health, which both have very high levels of female employment, are included within local and regional government.)

- Final report October 2012:

• Gender Equality final report Oct2012 -EN

• Gender Equality final report Oct2012 -FR

• Gender Equality final report Oct2012 -DE

• Gender Equality final report Oct2012 -ES

• Gender Equality final report Oct2012 -CZ