Women have a lower presence than men in the job market, and this contributes to a gender gap with regard to opportunities and economic involvement. In Barcelona, the gender gap in labour force participation has yet to be closed: in 2020, the figure was 67.8%, which is still far below levels in northern countries, which are above 70%. In the job market, gender gaps tend to increase with seniority: 38% of executive posts in the private and public sectors in Catalonia were filled by women in 2020, while only 3.7% of companies were run by women. We also find alarming figures in terms of financial disparities, with an 18.7% salary gap and an income gap of over 23%. These gaps reveal that women still receive lower remunerations than men in similar employment posts, while the disparities in income are higher than the salary gaps.

In effect, reaching high-level posts or getting work in segments with high economic remuneration is a challenge for women, and they have less chance than men of obtaining income from activities such as financial investment or entrepreneurship, where the gains are substantially higher. Tackling this subject is of key importance for Barcelona's economy, where entrepreneurship is one of the central features of the business fabric. On that basis, this session will cover the decisive aspects that need to be tackled in order to close the gender gaps, with leaders and experts from various fields and sectors.