By Emre Kurt

This paper examines the gendered effects of pension and retirement systems in Uruguay through a systematic literature review, motivated by persistent inequalities arising from contributory social protection models that reflect labor-market disparities and unequal caregiving responsibilities. Using the PRISMA 2020 framework, the study identifies and evaluates 21 relevant studies selected from an initial pool of 205 records, applying a gender-audit approach to distinguish between research with central and partial gender analysis. The findings reveal a methodologically diverse body of literature, largely dominated by quantitative approaches, but characterized by an uneven integration of gender as an analytical dimension. While some studies explicitly link pension outcomes to gendered life-course trajectories, highlighting the role of interrupted employment, unpaid care work, and lower contribution densities among women, others treat gender as a secondary factor or descriptive variable. Evidence from the literature indicates that reforms such as caregiver pension credits have improved women’s access to pensions and reduced gender gaps, yet these measures remain insufficient to fully address structural inequalities. Overall, the review demonstrates that pension systems are not genderneutral and emphasizes the need for more comprehensive, gender-sensitive research and policy design to ensure equitable and inclusive retirement outcomes.

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