The role of the state in shaping women's and men's entrance into the labour market: Spain in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries

This article examines the first stages in the formation of a gender-segregated labour market in Spain. It is argued that the demand for labour and the supply of labour were important determinants of this segregation, with the needs of individual families shaping the gender structure of the supply of labour while the demand for labour was influenced by external factors such as the laws of the state, local regulations, and religion. Detailed consideration is given to three elements of the relationship between emerging labour markets and the Spanish state: the ideological basis of state policies in relation to the role of men and women as workers; the specific laws, regulations and policies adopted by the state and local institutions; and the role of the state as an employer.