Gender Equality and the EU's Economic Governance: The Strategic Use of Women’s Employment Within Labor Market Reforms in Italy

Abstract

Abstract This article aims to evaluate the political implications of post-crisis governance in the European Union for national gender-equality strategies and policies. It presents a study of recent reforms of the labor market in Italy, where the response to the Eurozone crisis has increased concerns over the low rate of female employment. Through an analysis of policy documents and legislative reforms informed by discursive politics, the article argues that the Italian case provides evidence of the trend toward the further instrumentalization of gender equality, which has been strategically used in order to provide additional legitimation for labor market deregulation.