Factors affecting the participation of women into employment

Together with the industrial revolution, the period starting with the increase in women labor parallel to the developments in textile sector; the increase of women continues due to laws and regulations supporting the working women after 1970?s, demographical developments, increase in the education opportunities, flexible working conditions and developments realized in the service sector. Increasing the women employment is among the targets of EU Employment Strategy with priority. Although there is a tangible increase in women labor during the last 30 years, increase ratio is not sufficient when compared with the employment of the men.Together with the migration from villages to cities, the women employed free of charge in villages as a worker within the family concerning the agricultural activities are excluded out of the active population due to their low educational levels. Patriarchal mentality structures, sexual discrimination, existence of informal sectors are the reasons that caused the decrease of women employment ratio from 1950?s.The characteristics of the labor market is considered in the first section of the study, in the second section we deal with factors affecting the participation of women in employment in terms of globalization and technological developments. At the last section a comparison is made concerning the women employment ratios in employment markets in Turkey and in OECD countries.KEY WORDS1.Women2. Women Labor3. Women Employment4. Employment5. Unemployment