Escolarização feminina e desigualdade salarial: Um estudo para o estado de Mato Grosso do Sul

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis analyzed gender inequality in the formal labor market of the ten largest municipalities in Mato Grosso do Sul, with emphasis on the retail trade sector. The choice of this scope was justified by the economic relevance of retail in the region and by the assumption that, in this sector, significant wage differences between men and women should not exist. The general objective was to identify and characterize wage differentials by sex, relating them to female participation in the labor force. The methodology was descriptive and quantitative in nature, based on data from the Annual Social Information Report (RAIS) for the year 2021. Tables and graphs were prepared to synthesize variables such as total number of employees, retail share of formal employment, average wages by sex, and the proportion of women in the labor force. The results showed that, in all municipalities analyzed, women earned, on average, lower wages than men, even in sectors whose activities do not imply productivity differences by sex. It was also found that greater female participation did not necessarily lead to a reduction in the wage gap, suggesting the persistence of structural mechanisms of inequality. It was concluded that the educational advantage achieved by women in recent decades did not translate into income equality, reinforcing the need for public policies aimed at wage equity and the enhancement of women’s professional careers.