Abstract
The collapse in GDP brought about by the global economic crisis in 2008 affected female employment less than male employment, whereas austerity has been particularly harsh on women, a gendered impact described in the literature as “he-cession to sh(e)-austerity”. This article analyses gendered trends in the labour markets of eight European countries, decomposing quarterly changes in labour participation of women and men and in employment by sector. The “he-cession to sh(e)-austerity” scenario is not observed in all countries. Other channels through which austerity policies can jeopardize gender equality and women’s rights are identified with reference to a typology of such policies.