معرفی
MARIA AMPARO BALLESTER PASTOR is a Professor at the University of Valencia, affiliated with the Faculty of Law and the Department of Labour and Social Security Law. She is a leading expert in gender inequality in labor and social security systems and leads research through the University Institute of Women's Studies (IUED) and the research group GECOHIS.
Her research interests include gender and employment, anti-discrimination law, work-life reconciliation, collective bargaining, and EU gender equality policy. She has made significant contributions to understanding the gender pay gap, maternity benefits, labor reforms, and the legal transposition of EU directives into Spanish law. Her work bridges academic scholarship with public policy development.
The recent publications reflect a consistent focus on labor law reform, gender equity, social protection, and legal frameworks governing employment. Key themes include the 2021 labor reform, gender-based wage discrimination, work-life balance, and the integration of EU employment strategies into national law. Her scholarship combines doctrinal analysis with policy impact, emphasizing legal protections for vulnerable workers and gender equity.
She has held significant leadership roles, including Director of the University Institute of Women's Studies (2016–2019) and member of the European Network of Legal Experts in Gender Equality and Non-discrimination (2015–2019). She served as Director of Legal Coordination in the Second Vice Presidency of the Spanish Government until November 2023 and is currently a member of the Economic and Social Council as an expert.
She has supervised doctoral research and contributed extensively to legal education through practical teaching materials. Her work is deeply embedded in interdisciplinary research teams focused on gender, knowledge, history, and subjectivity, as well as socioeconomic inequalities and public policies with a gender perspective.
