Gender Differences among Economically Active University Graduates

Abstract

Data from a project titled 'Men and Women University Graduates' & other available statistical data are drawn on to explore areas of difference in the positions of men & women with university degrees in Czech society, focusing on their position in the labor market in terms of salary differences & attitudes to performance & career. It is hypothesized that the continuing gender differences between graduates cannot be attributed to the nature of the female workforce. The secondary position of these women on the labor market is due to noneconomic factors. Topics include the existing guarantees for equality of men & women in Czech society, the double standard of university qualifications, the link between the university-educated female labor force & the female sectors of the labor market, the 'unclear identity' of women graduates, & the low level of emotional support from these women's social surroundings. Also considered are the individualized, personalized ways of creating a social position that are used by women graduates on the market or in their career, highlighting the fact that these approaches are both risky & ineffective in the search for equal status or the implementation of equal opportunities policies.