Gender discrimination in salaries: the case of the Spanish performing arts sector

Abstract

Although gender pay gaps are a well-known fact of working life, very few studies have explored the issue within artistic fields. This paper employs logistic regression to analyze the influence of gender discrimination on salaries in the Spanish performing arts sector. Using data collected from a questionnaire survey with 726 respondents, the regression-based technique makes it possible to control for other potential influences such as education level, years of experience, and workplace characteristics. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that gender has a positive and statistically significant effect on an individual’s salary. In short, this study provides evidence that policy makers and artists’ organizations can draw on for the development of policies to enforce equal pay rights.

Keywords:

• Gender
• discrimination
• labor market
• performing artists
• pay gap

Acknowledgments

This research was partly inspired by questions raised in the research project “Análisis del perfil múltiple de profesionales asistentes a COFAE” funded by the Spanish Coordinator of Performing Arts Trade Fairs (COFAE).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Madferia, Feten, dFERIA, Mostra Igualada, Feria de artes escénicas y musicales de Castilla la Mancha, Fira de teatre de titelles de Lleida, Umore Azoka, Mostra de teatre d’Alcoi, Galicia Escena PRO, Palma - feria de teatro en el sur, Feria de teatro de Castilla y León, FiraTàrrega, and Feria internacional de teatro y danza de Huesca and FIET.