Horizontal gender-related segregation and the barriers that women face to access, maintain and promote in the occupation of mechanic in the sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles subsector in Spain

It is important to highlight the scarce presence of female workers over decades in most occupations of the industrial sector and the automotive subsector, among others. In Spain in 2016 only 25,6% of the workers were female in the industrial sector and only 11,6% in the sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles subsector, and most of them were in administrative posts or were saleswomen. Moreover, in the European Union in 2016 the female employment rate was a bit higher in the industrial sector, 29,3%, and in the sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles subsector, 15,6%. According to the EUROSTAT data there is an important underrepresentation of women in the sale, repair and motor vehicle subsector in all member states of the European Union. Therefore, it is important to identify the different factors and barriers that still reproduce horizontal gender segregation in the occupation of mechanic in the subsector. So this paper studies the characteristics of this subsector and its labour market in Spain and the European Union, and the different forms of resistance of male employers and workers to the access, maintenance and promotion of female workers to the analysed occupation. Sometimes these forms of resistance acquire the form of direct or indirect discrimination or sexual or gender-related harassment.