The aim of this study is to examine potential gender inequality in authority positions in the Swedish labour market. In addition, this thesis intends to explore whether there is a difference in gender inequality between the public and the private sector. The results show that women have poorer advancement opportunities compared to men. Men have significantly higher probabilities of holding managerial positions and this is valid in both sectors of the Swedish economy. The outcome cannot be explained by family-related factors, or by gender differences in work motivation. Moreover, despite public sector bureaucracy implying more extensive regulations with the intent to equalize recruitments and promotions on factors such as gender and ethnicity; women have greater chances of holding managerial positions in the private sector compared to the public sector. For men, the sector of employment is not related to differences in workplace authority. Women’s greater disadvantage in the public sector compared to the private is primarily due to the large concentration of female-dominated occupations in the former sector, which limit career opportunities substantially for women. In fact, when controlling for the share of women working in the profession there is no longer a significant advantage in terms of workplace authority for women in the private sector compared to the public sector. This thesis argues that public sector formalized regulations, as regards recruitment and promotion, are not able to attenuate the negative effects for women due to the substantial share of female-dominated occupations within this sector.

Using cross-sectional data from EU-SILC for the Czech Republic this thesis shows existence of gender gap in workplace authority at the Czech labor market. Controlling for human capital, job attributes and household characteristics reduced the gender gap in workplace authority but not at full range. It implies the existence of discrimination at the Czech labor market. This thesis also shows that gender differences in earnings returns to authority also exist, and men have these returns significantly higher compared to women.

Trots att mycket skett inom jämställdhetsarbete på dagens arbetsplatser finns ännu problematik kring hur det är att vara anställd på en arbetsplats som har en majoritet av det ena eller andra könet. Studiens syfte var att utforska hur det är att vara kvinna på en mansdominerad arbetsplats samt hur den situationen eventuellt kan förbättras. Utgångspunkten var att fokusera på informanternas psykiska mående på arbetet. Materialet samlades in genom kvalitativa intervjuer och analyserades sedan enligt Burnards flerstegsprocess. Resultaten visade på en variation i kvinnornas upplevelser där de upplevde sexuella trakasserier och en förhöjd kravbild i jämförelse med de manliga kollegorna, men också upplevda positiva erfarenheter som stödjande kollegor och raka och ärliga kommunikationsmöjligheter. Resultaten visade även på hur viktigt ett aktivt förbättringsarbete var när det gällde kvinnornas situation. Exempel på hur ett sådant förbättringsarbete kan bedrivas föreslås i studien. / What is it like, to be a woman at a male-dominated workplace? In this qualitive study, the question was asked to raise awareness around the complexities related to the subject, and how the situation for many women could be improved. The study focused on the psychological factors related to being one or one of few woman at a male-dominated workplace. The material was gathered through interviews and analyzed according to Burnard's step-process. The result showed a variation when it came to the women's experiences. Some of the women reported sexual harrassement and insuperably high requirements. Some also reported positive factors related to their situation, such as supportive male colleagues as well as honest communication styles. The result also showed on the importance of maintaining improvement work related to equality policies at every workplace. The paper offers some examples on such improvement work.