If we get bogged down in the approach that "a woman's place is in the kitchen", we will sooner and faster end up worsening the socio-economic situation in Moldova. This opinion was expressed by Alexandr Makuhin, PhD in political science and permanent expert, at a public debate held by the IPN press agency. The permanent expert expressed his surprise that in an overtly feminine society inequality persists against women.
Alexandr Makuhin, PhD in political science and permanent expert, noted that according to the population structure of the Republic of Moldova, the female generation is much more numerous than the male generation, especially in the case of people aged 65+. Thus, in principle, it appears that Moldovan society is feminine in terms of quantity and there are no trends that would indicate that it will suddenly become masculine.
The expert noted that early school leaving is more common among men than women, including ethnic minorities. The political scientist gave the example that Roma men, despite special quotas, have a lower percentage of involvement in education than women. There are still minority groups in education, but the trend persists that the girl is slightly more likely to finish school than the boy, said Alexandr Makuhin.
The doctor of political science said that when it comes to gender inequality, the role of status, the role of the private and public sector, we come to the conclusion anyway that the state is a kind of regulator on the one hand, and on the other hand we have the private sector, which works with the existing market, with the people who are.
In his view, paternity leave helps to erase the gender income divide. According to him, the latest research shows that men have started to spend more time with children, to take over some of the responsibilities, which in the patriarchal structure have always been women's throughout history.
"If we do not come to the realization that the adoption of laws does not mean their effective implementation, including in the area of social and demographic policies, we will soon find ourselves in a situation when the problem of pensions and wages will be related not so much to gender inequality, but to the fact that the social and tax systems will not be able to maintain an adequate level, and the private sector, which depends on people, will also reach a complicated state," emphasized Alexandr Makuhin.
The public debate "Gender inequality in the economy and society: why, what is happening now and what can we do?" is organized in the framework of the project "IPN News Agency for Social Cohesion and Pro-European Moldova", funded by IMS.
