Gender Stereotypes Related to Women’s Power and Work Roles in MSME Public Accounting

Abstract

Introduction. While women are recognized as having the same abilities and skills to compete in the labor market as men, they continue to confront stereotypes and gender inequalities in their participation in productive activities and positioning in the labor market. Purpose. To understand the relationship between perceptions of women in the professional community and the gender stereotypes associated with the power and working roles in the public accounting field. Methods. To contrast and compare the defined hypothesis with the perceptions of the respondents, a descriptive survey was conducted using a sample of 46 accounting professionals. Results and Discussion. The environment plays a role in women’s perceptions of the practice of public accounting, i.e., it was found that the accounting field operates in a balance that does not classify the career as masculine or feminine. Conclusion. Women’s perception that they have the same skills and abilities as men is an important factor in promoting competition in the labor market and in women’s access to leadership positions. They have broken stereotypes that identify them as preferring to develop their personal before their professional lives. However, stereotypes and gender differences in terms of power and work roles continue to exist. In order to eliminate these stereotypes and position themselves in the labor market without restrictions, women are increasingly seeking to participate in productive activities in order to develop their professional careers.