Beyond pink-collar jobs for women and the social economy

Women represent a larger share of the labour force of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) relative to the share of women in the total labour force in a number of countries. This share is estimated to exceed 60% in countries such as Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Women who work in SSE entities are mostly active in the services sector, reflecting the SSE’s specialisation in social sectors, in particular in health, care services, education and social work, sectors and occupations that are often categorised as feminised and also referred to as “pink-collar jobs”. For example, in France, the share of women in SSE personal and household services occupations is almost 96%.

Motivational factors might also explain why women are attracted to SSE entities as workers, founders and volunteers. SSE entities have a social purpose, following practices and governance models based on principles such as solidarity, mutuality, the primacy of people over capital, and co-operation, which may also help motivate high female participation. SSE entities typically include associations and non-profits, co-operatives, mutual societies, foundations, and, more recently, social enterprises. Community-based, grassroots and spontaneous initiatives can also be part of the SSE.

In many countries, SSE entities also offer flexible and often better working conditions, including part-time work. These work arrangements can support a better work-life balance for all employees, particularly women, as care responsibilities in the personal sphere are often performed by women as unpaid labour. For example, in Spain, co-operatives and worker-owned companies (sociedades laborales) show higher levels of flexibility and job stability compared with other types of firms. More broadly, policies enabling part-time work can promote equal opportunities for men and women to contribute at home and at work by encouraging fathers to take more parental leave and do more caregiving throughout the life course. This could change societal expectations that mothers “should” be the parent who works part-time.

Gender gaps in pay and leadership are often lower in the SSE, offering lessons for the rest of economy. For example, in Türkiye, the share of women with managerial roles in social enterprises is reported at 65%, more than triple the rate in the total labour force (18%). In Spain, the gender gap in pay in the SSE are 8 percentage points smaller than in the private sector.

SSE entities also support women’s employment in the wider economy and the quality of employment for women. SSE providers of care services help increase access to paid employment for women with caregiving responsibilities (for children, older individuals and others in need). For example, in the province of Québec, Canada, the vast majority of early childhood centres are run by SSE entities. In Sweden, around 10% of childcare is provided by co-operatives (Coompanion Sweden). Many SSE entities also address issues linked to women’s health and employment quality, such as the provision of menstrual products (e.g. the Pad Project in the United States) or working conditions of foreign care workers (e.g. FairCare by Diakonie Württemberg, Germany).

The SSE may hold important lessons on reducing gender pay gaps and discrimination that policy makers could leverage. Gender gaps in pay and leadership in the SSE tend to be lower than in the wider economy. More broadly, the values of the SSE, i.e. solidarity, the primacy of people over capital, and democratic and participative governance, can be strong drivers for tackling discrimination and achieving gender equality. For example, democratic and participative governance can empower women within entities and foster their promotion to decision-making positions. Further insights into the decision-making mechanisms of SSE entities and their respective influence on gender equality outcomes in labour force participation, leadership and pay, as well as the increased visibility of “women’s” issues, can help replicate the advancements of the SSE in the wider economy.