Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy et al., 2016) has emerged as a vocational framework that explains how contextual barriers shape access to work opportunities, particularly among individuals from economically disadvantaged and marginalized within society. In this study, PWT is utilized to examine the predictors and outcomes of decent work among disadvantaged women, who experience structural barriers in the labor market due to gender-based inequalities and limited socio-economic resources. The sample of the study consisted of 477 employed women in Türkiye. Data were collected using the Economic Constraints Scale, Lifetime Experiences of Marginalization Scale, Decent Work Scale, Work Needs Satisfaction Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, Work and Meaning Inventory, Short Critical Consciousness Scale, and a demographic information form. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping methods were applied.


The findings revealed that economic constraints and marginalization significantly hinder access to decent work. These contextual barriers also negatively predicted work needs satisfaction, job satisfaction, and meaningful work. In contrast, decent work positively predicted work needs satisfaction, job satisfaction, and meaningful work. Mediation analyses showed that decent work and work needs satisfaction mediated the effects of economic constraints and marginalization on work outcomes. However, the moderating role of critical consciousness in the relationship between contextual barriers and access to decent work was not significant. These results emphasize the importance of decent work as a key mechanism for enhancing psychological well-being and promoting social inclusion in the labor market. The findings highlight the need for policies that reduce structural inequalities faced by women and support fair, safe, and meaningful employment opportunities. Recommendations are offered for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to strengthen social justice practices in working life.