ABSTRACT
Sarah Blaffer Hardy's statement could be complemented with arguments originating from these fields, such as the on es elaborated upon in this chapter.
Esping-Andersen (1990) hypothesised that each welfare state model would shape a different female employment pattern and more specifically would result in different female employment levels. He argued that women's employment rates would be highest in the social democratic countries, as a consequence of an elaborate public services sector. Somewhat lower levels of female employment would be found in the liberal countries, where workers - including women - are more dependent on waged labour, as alternatives to labour market income are limited. The conservative countries would present the lowest levels of women's employment and the largest gen der gap, resulting from a slow-growth service sector and policies encouraging mothers to remain in the horne. Empirical research largely confirms these predictions.
