The labor market is an area that after the pandemic witnesses the largest number of gender inequalities. The state was unable to ensure the reconciliation of work and family life, but this is essential when it goes to the labor market opportunities for women and men. In a news conference at IPN, Alina Andronache, Communication and Advocacy specialist at the Center “Partnership for Development” (CPD), project coordinator, said that before the pandemic the women were placed in front of choosing between career and personal life, while during the pandemic they were practically forced to leave the job or to work less and therefore received a smaller salary.
“They had fewer opportunities for developing professionally. It is now important to analyze, not only in statistical data, but also in practice, how the women with small children were affected – how they felt, how they coped and in what way the life of families, especially of those with children younger than three, was affected,” stated Alina Andronache.
“Before the pandemic, we know that the families with small children, especially the women with at least one child aged between 0 and 3 who were working, represented by 25% less than the families without children. At the same time, 40.6% of the married women and, respectively, 24.2% of the unmarried women with children younger than 17 were inactive on the labor market owing to domestic chores and childcare responsibilities. We do not see this discrepancy among men. The presence or absence of children didn’t affect their work,” explained Alina Andronache.
A national poll presented by CPD shows that more than half of the working women had their relationship with the labor market impacted by the pandemic. Alexandra Emolenco, project director, said the women with children younger than three benefited the least from the opportunities to be paid more for the done work. Childcare and housework duties represented a major obstacle to the fulfillment of professional responsibilities and to professional development. The women with children working in precarious conditions were affected the most.
Ala Revenco, executive director of the public association “Solidary Parents”, said that the responsibilities for parents with children at the school and kindergarten during the pandemic doubled or even trebled. Initially, the educational institutions stopped work and later the kindergartens were reopened, but with a reduced program. The children of preschool age spent less time at the kindergarten and attended in a day and the parents had to take time away from work to be able to stay with them. Some of the parents gave up the job. In the case of students, it wasn’t easy either when they moved online. The parents of primary school children had to assist them technically and from the viewpoint of security in domestic conditions. The securing of computers was a problem. Even when the students returned to classrooms, the program of study was reduced.
“Many parents found it impossible to combine work with that regime of educational institutions and with online learning. During the two-year pandemic, permanent unpredictability persisted. Therefore, the parents had to permanently take unpaid leave or to even quit the job. At the start of the pandemic, the employers were more open, but they cannot permanently offer concessions,” stated Ala Revenco.
Note: IPN News Agency gives the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements of the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.
