Women in Brazil with higher education in tourism: Preliminary results of the Gentour Project

Abstract

The paper aims to identify the profile of women who hold a higher education degree in tourism – from technological training to postgraduate studies – in Brazil, based on results of the Gentour Project. The research methods were quantitative and data collection was carried out through an online survey. A convenience sample included graduates from Brazilian higher education institutions. After a consistency analysis, 421 respondents were considered valid. The data analysis applied univariate and bivariate statistical techniques. Results indicate that a few aspects are similar when comparing male and female graduates, such as the waiting time for their first job, the time in their current job, the higher average salaries obtained in the public sector, the average time of unemployment and the most recurrent reason for being unemployed. In addition, gender was not identified as a barrier in the process of finding a job, neither by male graduates nor by female graduates. Data suggests that there are differences between men and women regarding the highest academic levels, entrepreneurship rate, working hours, leadership positions and income. All these variables seem to be gender-related, according to this research. Although discrimination in professional life is not felt very often, women feel disadvantaged regarding salaries and bonuses; a feeling that is confirmed by a 29.7% gender pay gap. Furthermore, other remarkable features can be observed, such as the correlation between the educational degree and income, which demonstrates that the pay gap between men and women decreases with higher educational levels, and also the relation between professional activities and motherhood, evoking a relationship between motherhood and job stability, as well as with possible better incomes.

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