The labor market and employability of transgender women: barriers, strategies, and inclusion policies
Keywords:
transgender women, employability, social psychology, social exclusion, minority stressAbstract
Access to the labor market is one of the main markers of social inclusion, recognition, and subjective autonomy; however, for transgender women, this process is often permeated by structural discrimination, stigmatization, and institutional barriers that limit their employability. From a psychological perspective, this study discusses the psychosocial mechanisms that sustain the labor exclusion of transgender women, highlighting how cisnormativity, explicit and implicit prejudices, and the persistence of gender stereotypes contribute to the production of psychological suffering and minority stress. It also examines the role of work as a space for the construction of identity, belonging, and mental health, revealing the emotional impacts of marginalization and the difficulty of accessing formal opportunities. Finally, the text emphasizes the importance of support networks, inclusive public policies, and institutional practices committed to diversity, indicating ways to promote more welcoming and psychologically healthy work environments for transgender women.
References
Butler J. Undoing Gender. New York: Routledge; 2004.
Spade D. Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law. Brooklyn: South End Press; 2011.
Meyer IH. Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychol Bull. 2003;129(5):674–97.
Frost DM. Minority stress theory: Application, critique, and continued relevance. Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2023; (review available via PubMed Central).
Baugher AR, et al. Prevalence of discrimination and the association between employment discrimination and health among transgender women — seven US urban areas, 2019–2020. MMWR Suppl. 2024;73(Suppl 1):XX–XX.
Magno L, et al. Discrimination based on gender identity against transgender women and travestis in five Brazilian cities, 2019–2021. Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2024;27(Supl 1):e240012.
Anderson KA. Cisnormative symbolic colonization and transgender experiences in the workplace. Gender Work Organ. 2024; (online).
Radford G. Cisnormativity and the frustration of core emotional needs among transgender and gender diverse individuals. Clin Psychol Rev (or relevant journal). 2025; (online ahead of print).
Di Luigi G, et al. Systematic review of stigma and mental health outcomes in transgender and gender diverse populations: implications for workplace interventions. J Affect Disord Rep. 2025; (in press).
Goffman E. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. New York: Simon & Schuster; 1963.
Link BG, Phelan JC. Conceptualizing stigma. Annu Rev Sociol. 2001;27:363–85.
Allport GW. The Nature of Prejudice. Cambridge: Addison-Wesley; 1954.
Dovidio JF, Gaertner SL. Aversive racism. Adv Exp Soc Psychol. 2004;36:1–52.
Pager D, Shepherd H. The sociology of discrimination: Racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and consumer markets. Annu Rev Sociol. 2008;34:181–209.
Steele CM, Aronson J. Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1995;69(5):797–811.
Fredman S. Discrimination Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2011.
Acker J. Inequality regimes: Gender, class, and race in organizations. Gend Soc. 2006;20(4):441–64.
Pascoe EA, Richman LS. Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2009;135(4):531–54.
Shore LM, Cleveland JN, Sanchez D. Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Hum Resour Manage Rev. 2018;28(2):176–89.
Cortina LM. Unseen injustice: Incivility as modern discrimination in organizations. Acad Manage Rev. 2008;33(1):55–75.
Dobbin F, Kalev A. Why diversity programs fail. Harv Bus Rev. 2016;94(7/8):52–60.
Bento B. A reinvenção do corpo: sexualidade e gênero na experiência transexual. Rio de Janeiro: Garamond; 2006.
Honneth A. The Struggle for Recognition. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995.
Spade D. Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law. Brooklyn: South End Press; 2011.
Vergueiro V. Colonialidade de gênero e cisnormatividade. Rev Estud Fem. 2015;23(3):935–45.
Santos A, Prado M. Impactos psicossociais do estigma de gênero em pessoas trans no trabalho. Rev Psicol Organ Trab. 2021;21(4):1455–67.
Butler J. Undoing Gender. New York: Routledge; 2004.
Missé M. Teoria queer e crítica à normatividade. São Paulo: n-1 edições; 2019.
Cortina LM. Unseen injustice: Incivility as modern discrimination in organizations. Acad Manage Rev. 2008;33(1):55–75.
Shore LM, Cleveland JN, Sanchez D. Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Hum Resour Manage Rev. 2018;28(2):176–89.
Lionço T. Direitos humanos e diversidade de gênero: desafios na gestão pública. Cad Pagu. 2009;33:23–50.
Crenshaw K. Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Rev. 1991;43(6):1241–99.
Collins PH. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. New York: Routledge; 2002.
Meyer IH. Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in minority populations. Psychol Bull. 2003;129(5):674–97.
hooks b. Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism. Boston: South End Press; 1981.
Steele CM. Whistling Vivaldi: How stereotypes affect us and what we can do. New York: W.W. Norton; 2010.
Honneth A. The Struggle for Recognition. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995.
Livingston RW, Pearce NA. The role of identity in workplace discrimination. Admin Sci Q. 2009;54(3):393–442.
Pascoe EA, Smart Richman L. Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2009;135(4):531–54.
Nadal KL. A conceptual model of microaggressions. In: Sue DW, editor. Microaggressions and Marginality. Hoboken: Wiley; 2010. p. 21–40.
Acker J. Inequality regimes: Gender, class, and race in organizations. Gend Soc. 2006;20(4):441–64.
Spade D. Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law. Brooklyn: South End Press; 2011.
Santos A, Prado M. Impactos psicossociais do estigma de gênero em pessoas trans no trabalho. Rev Psicol Organ Trab. 2021;21(4):1455–67.
Shore LM, Cleveland JN, Sanchez D. Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Hum Resour Manage Rev. 2018;28(2):176–89.
Bento B. A reinvenção do corpo: sexualidade e gênero na experiência transexual. Rio de Janeiro: Garamond; 2017.
Meyer IH. Minority Stress and Mental Health in Gay Men. J Health Soc Behav. 1995;36(1):38–56.
Vergueiro V. Cissexualidade e cisnormatividade: discussões conceituais e políticas. Cad Pagu. 2020;59:e205900.
Souza ER, Pereira MLG. Políticas públicas, diversidade e inclusão no trabalho. Rev Psicol Organ Trab. 2021;21(2):123–35.
American Psychological Association. Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People. Washington (DC): APA; 2015.
Nogueira SNB, Aquino EML. Transexualidade, saúde e trabalho: desafios para políticas públicas. Interface. 2021;25:e210031.
Teixeira FB, Oliveira M. Identidade de gênero e saúde no trabalho: experiências de pessoas trans. Psicol Soc. 2022;34:e215554.
ARK: 
DOI: 
