Women and employment in Mauritius

Key insights from the Labour Market Survey 2024

The Mauritian labor market has undergone profound changes over the last decades, with women playing an increasingly important role across various economic sectors. The Labour Market Survey 2024 (LMS 2024), spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour, Human Resources and Training, provides essential insight into employment trends, particularly with regard to gender breakdown. The report focuses on analyzing the representation of women across industries and examines the distinct hurdles they encounter in securing employment and accessing training opportunities..

Women’s participation in the labor market

According to the LMS 2024 , women make up around 40% of the workforce in Mauritius, a figure that continues to rise steadily. However, they seem to remain largely confined to sectors labeled as “traditionally female” like health, education and hospitality. In contrast, their participation in technical fields like manufacturing and information technology remains disproportionately low.

Distribution of jobs by gender – Sectors with strong female presence

The LMS 2024 highlights the unequal job distribution between men and women on the Mauritian labour market. While certain industries remain male-dominated, others, traditionally perceived as more accessible to women, are recording high participation rates on their part. Below is an analysis of the sectors where women play a prominent role in shaping the economy.

Health and social services

The health and social services sector continues to be a cornerstone of female employment, with a large representation in professions such as nurses, care assistants, special educators and social workers. According to LMS 2024, 55% of vacancies in this sector were for women, reflecting the strong integration of the female workforce in these professions. These professions, often categorized as “care roles,” have deep historical and cultural associations with women, have historically been associated with women.

Hotels and catering

The hotel and catering sector, while offering opportunities in a variety of professions, remains particularly conducive to female employment, particularly in positions like waiting staff, receptionists, and housekeeping. In 2024, 73% of vacancies in this sector were open to women, underlining their contribution to this field.

Sectors with under-representation of women

While progress has been made in promoting gender equality and despite efforts to integrate more women, certain sectors remain predominantly male-dominated, posing significant challenges for women attempting to break into these industries. This section explores the reasons for this under-representation and the initiatives needed to encourage greater female participation in these sectors.

Manufacturing industry

Excluding textile production, the manufacturing sector continues to see limited female representation. The LMS 2024 reports that just 28% of job openings in manufacturing were for women, with even fewer women occupying technical roles like machine maintenance or production management. Barriers such as restricted access to technical training and limited encouragement deter women from entering these fields.

Construction sector

Construction is another sector where women are glaringly absent. Despite the sector’s abundance of job opportunities, women rarely pursue roles such as site managers or skilled tradespeople like electricians and bricklayers.

Pay disparities

Despite the growing presence of women in certain sectors, wage inequality persists. The LMS 2024 highlights significant pay gaps in industries such as healthcare and hospitality, where women frequently occupy roles but often earn less than their male counterparts, particularly in managerial positions. This pay inequality is all the more pronounced in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, where women are often confined to lower-paid positions.

Access to training and skills development

Access to training is a key factor in improving gender equality in the job market. LMS 2024 shows that while 32% of employers are open to collaborating with training centers to upskill women in technical fields, female participation in such programs remains minimal. Professions requiring technical qualifications, such as in the engineering and IT sectors, see greater resistance from women, due to perceived gender roles and a lack of support to overcome these barriers.

Government efforts to encourage the training of women in fields such as digital technologies, engineering and finance are key to bridging this gap. However, much remains to be done to raise women’s awareness of professional opportunities in these sectors and provide them with the resources they need to seize them.

Government efforts to promote the inclusion of women

The Ministry of Labor, Human Resources and Training has put in place various initiatives to encourage the inclusion of women in more diversified sectors and promote their economic independence. These efforts include awareness-raising programs on gender equality and specific actions to attract women into technical professions, often perceived as masculine. The government has also launched support programs for women entrepreneurs and for those seeking training in fast-growing sectors.

Conclusion

The Labour Market Survey 2024 showcases encouraging strides in women’s participation in Mauritius’ labor market. However, significant inequalities remain, particularly in high-paying, industrial, and technical sectors. To promote genuine equality of opportunity, we need to continue supporting women’s access to training in key sectors, challenge recruitment stereotypes, and implement policies promoting equal pay for equal work.

Collaboration between the government, employers, and civil society is critical to ensuring that women are afforded the same opportunities as men in the labor market.

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