Vliv délky rodičovské dovolené na genderové mzdové ​rozdíly: komparace České republiky a Belgie v roce 2026

This bachelor’s thesis examines the relationship between the length of parental leave and women’s wage status in the labor market in the context of the gender pay gap, with a focus on a comparison between the Czech Republic and Belgium. The aim of the thesis is to analyze whether a longer career break due to parental leave is associated with lower wages for women upon their return to the labor market, and to compare this relationship between the Czech Republic and Belgium. The theoretical section draws on the concepts of the gender pay gap, the motherhood penalty, and human capital theory, while also describing the institutional framework of family policy in both countries under study. The empirical section first analyzes secondary data from Eurostat on the evolution of the gender pay gap and then utilizes primary data obtained through an original questionnaire survey among women with children. To test the hypotheses, linear regression models estimated using the ordinary least squares (OLS) method are applied, including the use of robust standard errors. The results show that longer parental leave is associated with lower wages for women, although a statistically significant relationship was confirmed only in the case of the Czech Republic. In the Czech sample, the negative effect of the number of children and the positive effect of work experience were also statistically significant, while in Belgium, educational attainment emerged as a significant determinant of wages. The results further suggest that the impacts of parenthood on women’s wage status may be influenced by the institutional framework of family policy and the conditions for women’s return to the labor market in each country.