Gender Path: Transforming tourism workplaces towards gender equity and social sustainability

Abstract

“Gender Path” addresses one of Europe’s most persistent labour market challenges: the gendered impact of parenthood on careers. In the tourism sector, a major employer with one of the highest shares of women in precarious, part time, and informal jobs, the project examines how invisible work such as unpaid care, emotional labour, and hidden organisational tasks shapes career trajectories and reinforces inequality. This burden falls disproportionately on women, resulting in slower promotion, lower earnings, and reduced security, with compounded effects for single parents, migrants, LGBTQI+ families, and households facing health conditions. The project pursues three objectives: (1) measure parenthood related career penalties across diverse institutional and cultural settings; (2) analyse how workplace norms, sector structures, and policy frameworks affect work life balance and family well being; and (3) co develop evidence based policy tools and workplace models to reduce gender gaps in seven countries (Iceland, Finland, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Albania, Ukraine), covering both developed and emerging economies relevant to tourism. An integrated mixed methods design combines longitudinal labour market analyses, a cross country survey, computational discourse analysis, case studies, and qualitative life course interviews. Engagement with policymakers, social partners, and employers through a stakeholder board and national co creation labs ensures findings lead to actionable recommendations. By generating robust evidence and piloting inclusive workplace solutions, “Gender Path” supports Horizon Europe’s “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society” goals. Its outputs such as policy toolkits, tested models, and targeted awareness campaigns equip stakeholders to dismantle structural barriers, improve retention and advancement for parents, and foster more gender equal, resilient labour markets across Europe.