Gender-Role Attitudes, Religion, and Employment

In this study I investigate the link between gender-role attitudes and the gender gap in employment status in Italy. In other words, I try to show whether the existing difference in employment between male and female, is due to discrimination toward working women, or rather due to women's own attitudes and preferences to stay within the domestic domain. Because gender attitudes are likely to be endogenous, I also explore the effect of religion on both attitudes and female employment status. The rationale for this choice is that religion is one of the main determinants of gender attitudes and values. Using data from the the European Value Survey, I find that gender-role attitudes and religion play an important role in female employment status.