Women are in the labor market, unfortunately, sometimes only part of statistics.
And when we are already talking about numbers, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we record that women make up most of the workforce.
According to the 2013 census, there were 3,531,159 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which 1,798,889 women live. And according to the data and agencies of BiH Statistics from March 2024. years, 40% of women were employed in our country. At the same time, women make up 63.34% of the population that 2022 completed the Faculty, 63% of those who have mastered and 46.67% of those who have received those years. Women make up 60.13% of the total students in higher education institutions in 2022/2023. year.
Greater degree of feminization, lower average salary
All research has shown that there is a visible difference in salaries between men and women.
The difference in the schedule is estimated at 9% to the harm to women. Almost in all economic branches, men earn more, except in the agriculture and mining sector, real estate turnover, and in administrative services.
Women not only are less paid for the same jobs that are performed by both men, but the jobs that mostly perform women are often less appreciated.
– The higher the degree of feminization in the workplace, the lower the average hourly salary in that company may be considered equally valuable, and skills, the work of the National Status on Human Development on Social Inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2020. .
The European Union Commission states that discrimination in salaries often remain undiscovered due to the lack of transparency of salaries, which means that the injured men are prevented from submitting a lawsuit (EU Council, 2023).
Less opportunity for managerial place
The latest data of the BiH Statistical Agency, which relate to 2023. The average annual salary for men amounted to 24,579 KM, while for women, it was less – 23,485 KM, which indicates a gap of 3.6%.
Women also had lower average bonuses, which amounted to 669 KM compared to 758 km of men. Although smaller than in many other countries, the gap indicates the existence of economic inequalities. In addition, 22.1% of employees receive low earnings, with larger women’s share in this group.
However, these numbers should be reached because most women are first encountered by gender-based discrimination against employment. And not only that, they wait longer for the first job, consent for a half hours, unequal working conditions …
Well, when they get the job they were educated, they don’t have a lot of opportunities for a managerial place.
– The data we have confirmed that women are not lacking or ambition, so the causes we must seek elsewhere. This comes to family / private life as an obstacle to greater participation in the labor market. The question of whether the women have elected it alone or were forced to be inactive in the labor market – said Delila Hasanbegović Vukas from SOCs in a recent interview.ba conversation.
Work and family
The conclusion is the research of “Women in the Business World” company and my business. BA, which sought elements that make the inequality between men and women in the business world.
One of the stereotypes present in two years as long as research is the inability to balance between private and business life, which some respondents also stated as their own challenge.
– Gender differences in business performance are noticeable in the perceptions of the proceedings, and the perceptions of professionals to management structures, but the professionals examined and more than the general public were attributable to men and women. Financial results, professional advancement and the fight with competition are elected as results adapted to men, while human resource management and finance management are recognized for women – it is prominently – highlighted.
In the survey, there is still a positive shift, and an increasing number of respondents believe that women should be represented in management positions, and should participate in mentoring processes …
Also, more respondents are consciously gender-based differences in salary and decision on dismissal, pointing to the possibility of changing these practices in the future. The general public is the possibility of flexible working hours the most influential on the equal position of women, while for professionals in management structures, this will provide programs that balance business and family life.
– This analysis shows that, although women remain recognized by their ability to balance between private and business life, they invest in personal development and efficiently govern teams, certain gender stereotypes continue to influence their abilities in professional progress and adoption of pressure under pressure. Changes are noticeable, but progress in equality requires further work on freshness and breaking prejudice – concluded.
Historical emancipation
But research market research 2020/2021. It can be reduced to two conclusions: employers more often employ men than women or that women are not active enough in the labor market. Which, is certainly not the case.
The largest percentage of new employees was in processing activities and trade, and large companies are a significant factor in the employment of women. At the same time, women most often find work as traders, support workers in manufacturing, shopkeepers, tailors, waitresses.
No woman in BiH is employed as a lock, deliveryer, vary, carpenter, mason, bus driver, electrical engineer, driver of passenger car …
In the Gender Center of the Federation of BiH, they are convinced that the most important characteristic of the historical emancipation of women was their mass entry into the labor market.
They point out that, after a relatively long period of almost full employment of women in BiH again, the labor market for the first job, or inability to find work in mature age due to the market change and termination of the need for a certain type of work.
– These are all the problems that are still affected by women more. The participation of women in the labor market and equal opportunities for their employment are the most common indicators of women’s emancipation. It is considered that the economic empowerment of women is one of the basic goals of gender equality, relying on the premise that economic independence is the foundation on which women can improve their position and in all other spheres of life – allegations.
But they add, that without the participation of women in the workforce of one country there is no real economic progress and growth. That is why the economic emanciation of women is also considered a prerequisite for gender equality.
Discrimination and departure from BiH
So we’ll talk a little on the statistics. And again on the salaries and conditions of work: Since two years ago, women have shown that women employed in the field of economics, medicine, tourism and textile industries have an average of up to 300 km lesser salary compared to male colleagues.
Work. Ba pointed out as a bright example where women are leading in earnings in BiH – in pharmacy, and in positions director of branches in banking.
It was also pointed out that the crucial factors for leaving BiH in women are low income and a sense of uncertainty.
Discrimination against women in the labor market today is especially reflected, many women will tell you when it comes time to expand the family. Countless women have testified how they asked them in the employer conversation openly: you mean to give birth? There are no number, nontocre legal protection, received cancellations or declared a technological surplus during pregnancy.
That is why young women who are just getting ready or exit to the labor market and today wait for equality from the paper to pass into practice.
Patriarchy our random
Openly talks about that and Legal experts Vildana Jackman, which points out that the patriarchate is still strong and that the employer between women and men who are similar preferences, in most cases to choose a man.
And why is that that explains Dalila Hasanbegović Vukas.
– Causes We can also seek in the maladaptive legislative framework in real needs in the labor market and in the family, leading to discrimination and inequality – reminds.
Economic experts know that the greater participation of women in the economy is a prerequisite for the social and economic prosperity of each country, and even ours.
Director of the Gender Equality Agency Samra Filipović Hadžabdić points out that the measures contributing to the economic empowerment of women are at the top of the priority of Gender institutional mechanisms.
– However, all actors are involved in addressing the roots of insufficient participation of women in the field of labor and economies, the underdevelopment of the economies of gender-based discrimination such as income differences or sexual harassment – emphasis Filipovic-Hadžiabdić.
And about gender-based discrimination could write novels. The European Union is in the report on BiH for 2023. that the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination from 2009. year, which aims to fully harmonize with the European Union legislation, does not yet apply due to a number of problems.
– Cases of discrimination remain underneath, especially in the workplace, and the case law showed a lack of uniform implementation of providence, procrastination and non-execution of final decisions – writes, among other things, in this report.
At the conference, which within the World Campaign “16 days of activism against violence against women” was held in November in Sarajevo, an important issue was asked – whether gender inequalities in the labor market are domestic or female problems.
– The woman is not equal in his own house. And that is why empowerment, especially economic empowerment of women, priority. This is not a matter of personal choice, but the stake of the state, to which the answers should be given by the institutions – Ana Vukovic, director of the Gender Center of the Government of the Federation of BiH.
It was emphasized that the recent research showed the Fa most often violates the rights of employees in the field of trade and service activities, and that as many as 54 percent of respondents pointed out that it has experienced a form of discrimination, whether it is non-verbal or physical violence.
But they report discriminate against them. They simply do not trust the intitations, it was concluded.
It was pointed out that the right in the workplace is violated in different ways, but also that employers are not the only ones who have to understand what human rights are and how important it is to respect them.
Problems in practice
But in practice there are still probes expressed when it comes to women’s workforce: questioning about marriage status interviews, dismissal during maternity sickness, docking days, mobbing, less wages than male colleagues …
But there are still many systemic obstacles, about which the ombudsman of BiH Jasminica Jumhur also spoke. She pointed out one of the most important that inspections at lower levels often “forget” to oblige the State Law on Prohibition of Discrimination.
And that everything is much better and otherwise not as difficult – contribute to reducing the discrimination against women in the labor market, through the promotion and protection of women’s economic and social rights.
Jasminka Jumhur ombudsmen leads to conclude that the BiH authorities do not seem enough to change policies and processes that endanger the position of women in the economic sphere and lead to covert discrimination.
It reminds the fact that BiH was the first in the region to receive the Law on Equality Pelov, that it is BH. Model used in other countries who later adopted this law.
However, the mechanisms of applications are not developed, it is not known who monitor compliance, who supervises the implementation of the recommendations, decides on strengthening labor inspections.
And there is the tip of the iceberg. Problems begin when laws are not implemented, writes Interview.ba
