The average income of women in Moldova is 15.5% lower than that of men. Ten years ago this difference was almost 12%. This is because women work in lower-paid sectors compared to men. This is the finding of economist Marina Soloviova, director of the "Economic Policy" programme at the Expert Group, expressed at the public debate "Gender inequality in the economy and society: why, what is happening now and what can we do?" organized by IPN.
According to the economist, another aspect of this discrepancy is the different access of women and men to obtain managerial positions, with women being limited in this respect.
Marina Soloviova says that historically, once a profession is feminized, it becomes less paid. She referred to professions in the education sector, which in Soviet times were male-dominated and well-paid.
Soloviova said that at the present stage, the IT or finance sector is dominated by men, while the education sector is dominated by women.
The Expert Group representative also referred to the fact that women most often work in state institutions. This is due to a stable work schedule, which allows women to combine work with household responsibilities. "Financial stability is important for women even if they go on maternity leave, and state institutions ensure this," the economist added.
On the other hand, lately, statistics show that there are cases when men opt for childcare leave. In 2016 in Moldova, three thousand men opted for this leave, and in 2021 - 11 thousand. This is a "positive dynamic", Marina Soloviova noted.
The economist noted that the difference between women's and men's salaries is also related to the level of education - middle or higher education. However, "the level of education does not help women in their careers compared to men".
Soloviova said that up to the age of 25, women's and men's careers develop identically, and up to the age of 35, things differ because women give birth and go on childcare leave.
The public debate on "Gender inequality in 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.
