Brecha salarial de género: un estudio del impacto de la educación y el marco institucional en países de América del Sur, 2000-2023

Abstract

Abstract: The gender pay gap persists as one of the most complex forms of inequality in South America, even in the face of advances in education and legislation. This is why the research is motivated by the contradiction between the higher educational attainment of women and the persistence of wage gaps, demonstrating that education alone does not guarantee economic equity. Therefore, the general objective was to analyze how education and the institutional framework influence the gender wage participation gap in Latin America by applying a mixed methodological approach, with qualitative analysis of regulatory frameworks and an econometric model of panel data for eight South American countries between 2000 and 2023. The results revealed that, although women outperform men in educational attainment, this does not translate into wage equality. However, factors such as government effectiveness, equity legislation, and wage transparency have a greater impact. The conclusion is that the combination of robust institutional policies and education is key to reducing the gender wage gap.