SUMMARY
The objective of this paper is to discusses gender discrimination in the labour market in Brazil and understand the role that the private sector plays in both sustaining and fighting gender inequality and the wage gap. It does so through the analysis of main problems and challenges for the achievement of full gender equality. It is a study in the field of law, economics, and social science. The paper first reviews the history of gender equality in Brazil, highlighting both current problems and progresses, in particular in the area of legal protection of female workers. It then discusses current gender inequality issues and wage gaps in the workplace in Brazil and analyses the reasons for the persistence of such inequality. Finally, the paper discusses the role of the private sector in both sustaining gender discrimination and promoting gender equality. This paper acknowledge progress in the area of gender equality achieved in Brazil in the past two decades, but it considers that discrimination is the key persistent issue that needs to be addressed to completely eradicate this problem. In particular, special attention should be given to the role of the private sector – something that has been so far overlooked in Brazil.