Summary This paper takes a policy-oriented approach. It draws on evidence from peer-reviewed research, policy reports and ‘grey literature’ to examine the potential impact of auto­mation on women’s participation in the labour market. This important topic has largely been overlooked in cur­rent policy debates. The paper analyses how the existing literature address the impact of automation, particularly at the intersection of gender and labour market dynam­ics, and in relation to structural and systemic barriers that sustain gender disparities. It also identifies emerg­ing themes that policymakers should prioritise when considering the gendered dimensions of automation and their implications for the future of work. Based on a scoping review, the paper maps current re­search trends and highlights key limitations that require further attention from academic researchers. This will en­hance our understanding of changing working conditions and inform policymaking. It focuses on four critical themes: workers’ adaptability within the framework of workplace automation; gender employment and wage gaps in relation to technological change; the relationship between automation technologies and occupational safe­ty and health, with particular attention to how women may be subject to new risks; and the implications for an ageing workforce in the context of technological change. Introduction This paper adopts a policy-oriented focus, drawing on ­evidence from peer-reviewed research, policy reports and grey literature in an attempt to shed light on the potential impact of automation on women’s participation in the la­bour market. This is a topic that has largely been over­looked in current policy debates. The starting point of the analysis is the assumption – introduced by Frey and Os­borne(2013) and repeated in numerous forecasting studies in the past decade – that automation in the workplace will inevitably affect the composition of the labour market, given the proportion of jobs likely to be automated in the near future(Arntz et al. 2017; Manyika et al. 2017). While both women and men will increasingly face similar chal­lenges in managing transitions across occupations, wom­en are more likely to be threatened by automation, even though men outnumber women in the workplace. This is because of existing segregation in the labour market. This disparity is attributed largely to gendered differences in the nature of work. Women across occupational catego­ries are more likely to perform routine and repetitive tasks (Piasna and Drahokoupil 2017). Nevertheless, the future paths of automation remain uncertain, as do the specific ways in which women may experience its ­effects, taking into account variations across industries, welfare regimes, individual trajectories shaped by access to retraining op­portunities, and broader socio-economic inequalities. Given these uncertainties and the different ways in which women may be affected, it is clear that any attempt to address gender disparities in the labour market requires more than broad policy commitments. Specifically, ef­forts to advance gender equality must be closely aligned with changing labour market dynamics, including the de­velopment and adoption of new technologies. In this way, progress may be achieved without compromising productivity or economic competitiveness. The main research questions addressed in this paper, go­ing beyond general observations on the gendered labour outcomes of technological change, are as follows: (i) How does the existing literature tackle the impact of automation technologies on women, particularly at the intersection of gender and labour market dynam­ics, and in relation to the structural and systemic barriers that sustain gender disparities? (ii) What emerging themes should policymakers prioritise when considering the gendered dimensions of auto­mation and their implications for the future of work? Based on the scoping review, the paper maps out current research trends, as well as some general limitations that require greater attention to attain a more comprehensive understanding of changing working conditions, particu­larly for future policymaking. Automation, which includes the applications of AI systems, robotics and algorithmic management systems, is a relatively recent phenomenon. Thus, there is a significant lack of research on how these technologies may impact the work environments of di­verse population groups. After the introduction, a literature review examines the rela­tionship between automation and gender equality in the la­bour market, considering the interplay between technologi­cal change, labour market dynamics and gender inequali­ties. This is followed by a section on methodology and analysis. The subsequent four sections focus on key trends identified in the literature, highlighting its limitations and identifying potential areas for further research, particularly those that could inform the policymaking process. As research and policy become increasingly interconnect­ed, this paper proposes that researchers focus on four key themes that require further exploration to inform fu­ture policymaking. These areas are critical for developing detailed and actionable proposals, particularly for Euro­pean policymakers. The first theme is workers’ adaptability in the context of workplace automation. It is clear that an exclusive focus on individual capabilities, treating gender as merely one socio-demographic variable among others, would be in­sufficient to capture the complexity of different sectors, as well as the differences between the EU Member States. The institutional context is central in shaping la­Introduction 3