The current economic crisis in Southern Europe is comparable in depth and duration with the 1930s depression. A notable feature of the latter in the US was backtracking on the considerable progress towards gender equality attained since WW1, with a reassertion of the male breadwinner model. The paper addresses the issue of whether such an outcome is possible in Southern Europe today.
The key hypothesis to be examined -primarily for Greece, with some references to Italy, Spain and Portugal - is that the progress marked since the 1980s was lacking in depth and, though the male breadwinner model was dented, it was not irrevocably expunged. The pre-crisis period is examined (using LFS and SHARE microdata, supplemented by attitudes surveys) with reference to labour market protection, social insurance and societal values. The question to be examined, by benchmarking the southern states, is that progress in women’s labour market participation was (a) more hesitant and less broadly based and (b) was embodied in societal values and attitudes to a smaller extent. Turning to the crisis, this is examined in terms of labour market outcomes and policy. Economic analysis suggests that the crisis could eithercreate an equalising impetus (by involving women deeper to supplement family incomes) or backtracking (in attempting to prioritise male breadwinners). The factors determining which scenario will predominate will be examined and discussed. The paper will attempt to arrive at some tentative policy conclusions.
