Can Education Be a Cure for the Gender Wage Gap in the Labor Market?

In Turkish politics, disparities in the labor market among disadvantaged groups typically receive little attention. Specifically, issues regarding gender, youth, and the elderly in employment are frequently ignored. Gender disparity, which has persisted in Türkiye for many years, is the primary focus of this study. With women constituting nearly half of the population, their significantly low participation and employment rates highlight a complex economic challenge. Merely a quarter of women have access to suitable job opportunities. This low engagement in the labor market is largely influenced by societal and cultural norms that assign women the role of caregivers for children and elderly family members. Furthermore, women who do enter the workforce often face discrimination in terms of wages, and women earn approximately 20% less than their male counterparts in similar roles. Educational disparities contribute to gender segregation, resulting in fewer occupational choices for women. Given the economic benefits associated with education, it is unsurprising to observe gender discrepancies in the labor market, where women not only participate less but also have limited job options. This paper examines the impact of education on the wages of both women and men, drawing on data from the Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC) for the year 2020. By investigating various gender-discriminatory factors in the labor market, the study suggests that achieving higher levels of education may help narrow the gender wage gap.