Gender Inequality and Regional Development: Women, Labour and Structural Development Gap in Southern Italy

This thesis investigates the relationship between gender inequality and regional development in Southern Italy, with a particular focus on women’s participation in the labour market and its implications for the persistent economic divide between the Italian Mezzogiorno and the rest of the country. The research is situated at the intersection of three strands of literature: gender and development studies, the literature on Italian regional dualism, and research on female labour market participation and informal labour in Italy. Although Italy is one of the largest economies in Europe, significant territorial disparities continue to characterize its development trajectory. The historical divide between Northern and Southern Italy remains one of the most persistent examples of uneven regional development in Western Europe. Compared with the Centre-North, the Mezzogiorno continues to experience lower employment rates, lower productivity, weaker industrial structures, higher youth unemployment, and greater levels of social vulnerability. Within this context, women face particularly critical conditions in terms of labour market participation, employment opportunities, economic autonomy, and access to stable and formal employment. While gender inequalities are often interpreted as a consequence of regional development gap, this thesis adopts a different perspective by examining whether they should also be considered one of its structural determinants. More specifically, the study addresses the following research questions: RQ1. Is the underutilization of women's human capital a structural factor contributing to the persistence of the regional development gap between Southern and Northern Italy? RQ2. Through which economic, social, and institutional mechanisms does the underutilization of women's human capital influence regional development in Southern Italy? By addressing these questions, the thesis aims to assess whether women's limited participation in the labour market should be understood not only as an outcome of regional disparities but also as a factor reinforcing the persistence of economic development gap.