"The present paper investigates gender equality in employment. It aims to understand which factors fuel gender gaps and which drivers could overcome them to build an inclusive and fair working environment. In high-income countries, female employment has been rising steadily for decades. However, average employment levels among women remain lower than those of men and considering parents with young children, the situation is even more emphasized. To achieve the research objective we administered a structured quantitative survey questionnaire to a sample of women from Italy and Canada. From the analysis, it emerged that there are some differences between the Italian and Canadian women's points of view. Specifically, the latter seem more satisfied with their country's support for women's work than Italian women. Moreover, both samples believe that working and having economic independence is fundamental ina woman's life. At the same time, however, they perceive that having a family could affec their career growth. Respondents pointed out that tools such as kindergartens, paternity leave, childcare incentives, and smart working can be valuable tools to support female work. Despite the many advances, greater effort is required to support women's empowerment and overcome gender barriers by promoting more equality in the workplace."

Support: Digital