A Systematic Review Discussing the Sustainability of Men and Women’s Work in Industry 4.0: Are Technologies Gender-Neutral?

Abstract

The introduction of new technologies at work in the context of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has led to the emergence of risks for health, even if they are still underexplored. However, their understanding does not usually adopt a gender perspective, even though the gendered division of work has differentiated health outcomes. As sustainability is at the top of the political agenda and in consideration of the gender segregation that exists at work, it is pertinent to question how I4.0 technologies are reconfiguring workplaces and impacting women and men’s health. Following a systematic review approach using the PRISMA protocol, this study explores how gender is integrated in I4.0-themed studies, exploring employment, work, and health. After the identification and screening phases were completed, a total of 16 papers were included. Literature exploring technological transformation from a gender point of view is scarce, as well as research developed in concrete work contexts. The literature in this domain tends to address employment prospects, and women are generally described as being more at risk for job loss through automation processes. Health risks in the literature found in this review were mostly neither considered nor differentiated for women and men. Future studies should consider the specificities of different work contexts through the development of case studies in different activity sectors so that the risks for women and men can become visible. This way, interventions at a work organization level are enabled to create more sustainable working conditions.