Modernization, which started with industrialization, not only
led to women being included in the labor market; it also
made the concepts of gender inequality and the difference
between men and women depending on the opportunity, the
right to speak, and the law, a part of our lives. Gender
inequality makes its presence felt in the labor market, being
affected by many factors such as structural obstacles,
socioeconomic and technological transformation, economic
crises, and pandemics. For example, men are expected to
participate in the paid labor market, while women are
generally expected to do most of the unpaid work. Gender
inequality caused by such factors causes women's
employment to be low. The automotive industry, which is
one of the world's highest value-added industries, leads the
industries that produce foreign trade surplus, break export
records, and thus create high levels of employment in our
country and gain competitive advantage. Increasing gender
equality may be one of the steps that can enable this sector
to sustain its competitive advantage. Therefore, the aim of
this study is to reveal the situation of women's employment
in the leading passenger car manufacturers of our country in
terms of gender inequality. For this purpose, secondary data
were analyzed through content analysis. Findings show that
gender inequality remains below desirable levels in
passenger car production. The low women employment rate,
especially in the senior management levels of the sector, may
be an indicator of the existence of the glass ceiling syndrome
in this sector. From a macro perspective, it is not possible to
talk about a sustainable economic development without
women's employment, while from a micro perspective, the
increase in women's employment can contribute to
companies' holistic marketing activities and increase their
competitive advantages.