Fewer Women Working in Macedonia, Survey

A report entitled “Women in the Economy”, showing less than one-third of women hold steady jobs, highlights the issue of sex discrimination among those searching for employment in Macedonia.

"We notice a downward trend in this area, where women are often victims of traditional patriarchal thinking that determines their role as housewives," Nadica Tanevska, from Research in Action, the NGO that compiled the report, said.

Macedonia’s national employment strategy envisages 30-per-cent employment among women. But the NGO says the state should aim towards a benchmark of 50 per cent, which is the standard set in Western Europe and United States.

In many cases, women's wages for the same jobs are also lower than those of male colleagues, the NGO said.

Women on average receive 20 to 28 per cent less money for the same job as men, it said. In private companies, this pay gap is bigger and reaches up to 50 per cent less money.

About 90 per cent of respondents in the survey said they would like to be employed, as they wanted their own source of income. Only 10 per cent said they voluntarily chose to be housewives.

Women applying for jobs generally reported being discriminated against in various ways. Some employers demanded that they signed statements, saying they would not get pregnant and take maternity leave.

More than half the respondents are not satisfied with the help they get from male partners in household jobs. Two-thirds said their domestic chores prevented them from pursuing a career.

The NGO proposes systemic adjustments to help meet the needs of women, such as building more creches for women at work, and changing the law to make it easier to work part time or from home. 

The survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1,600 women from across the country.