Hay discriminación en contra de las mujeres en el mercado laboral ecuatoriano? (Is there discrimination against women in the Ecuadorian labour market?)

Most studies addressing gender inequality focus exclusively on the wage gap. This work aims at correcting this bias by focusing on factors such as employment, formality of employment and underemployment. Ecuador has been chosen as a scenario for this study because of its relatively unique labour market structure in Latin America. Using survey data at a household level, this study finds evidence of discrimination against women in the form of lower wages and disparities in terms of employment, underemployment and formality. It is argued that equal pay legislations could foster the reduction of these gaps. This study also recommends policies driven to promote equality at home by, for example, teaching the benefits of formal employment to household members.