Women’s career opportunities in the 21st century - a systematic literature review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15170/MM.2025.59.KSZ.01.03

Keywords:

female leaders, work and private life, career opportunities, PRISMA

Abstract

THE AIM OF THE PAPER
Women’s roles and opportunities have changed significantly in the 21st century. Social norms, labor market trends, and technological innovations all influence women’s professional development. The aim of the study is a systematic literature review that highlights the fact that the number of publications investigating women’s roles has been steadily increasing in recent decades, and more and more professional materials deal with, for example, work-ife balance and the labor market effects of having children. The research field is relatively new, and the explosion of publications in the past ten years can be attributed to the current wave of feminist movements, as well as the rise of the digital revolution and social media.

METHODOLOGY
The application of the PRISMA method during the systematic literature search reflects various aspects, such as the number of relevant publications, their distribution by research areas and countries. Further application of the PRISMA method and refinement of search criteria, even by narrowing the keywords, is expected to help the research tobe more accurate and broader in scope, enabling the scientific community to better understand and evaluate studies and publications concerning women’s roles.

MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
This type of research not only helps to process and understand the literature background, but also plays an important role in raising social awareness, mapping solution proposals, which supports the breakthrough of the so-called glass ceiling and provides assistance in women’s career development. Its main points include education, employment inequality, family roles and patterns.

RECOMMENDATIONS
After applying the methodology, the direction is clear: the most important factor is the correct use of the employer’s toolkit, monitoring the digital transformation and ensuring the possibility of working from home. The aim is that future trends and results can contribute to the promotion of gender equality.

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Published

2025-11-17

How to Cite

Gaál, Z. and Obermayer, N. (2025) “Women’s career opportunities in the 21st century - a systematic literature review”, The Hungarian Journal of Marketing and Management, 59, pp. 29–40. doi: 10.15170/MM.2025.59.KSZ.01.03.

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