The labor market continues to be a sector that does not offer equal opportunities to women and men. The employers themselves consider the employees do not enjoy equal chances, while the labor conditions do not fully facilitate this process. From the perspective of employers, safety at work and reconciliation practices appeared to be the weakest rings in ensuring the equality of chances on the labor market. The barriers caused by foreign factors determine a more pronounced level of inequality in terms of labor among jobless people. The barriers based on stereotypes about gender roles that are promoted in society also have an essential effect. However, the internal factors should not be omitted from this equation, says an analysis carried out by the Center “Partnership for Development” (CPD) in cooperation with UN Women. The study authors say that to diminish gender inequalities on the labor market, the authorities should efficiently intervene with an exhaustive series of public policies and national programs, IPN reports.

CPD expert Rodica Ivaşcu, one of the study authors, said that approximately 75% of the managers consider the inferiors enjoy a flexible and very flexible working program, while the male employers are more tempted to believe in such a postulate. However, the detailed analysis of their answers to a series of additional questions highlighted a number of findings that run counter to such practices. About 40% of the employers have a stereotyped opinion about the practices for ensuring flexibility in work, considering that these measures negatively influence the professional performance of employees and they most often benefit parents and those who become involved less in the fulfillment of professional duties. Among employers older than 45, these stereotypes are more often met. Also, about ten times fewer men benefit from childcare leave.

Study author Alexandra Ermolenco noted that an essential gender gap is witnessed in Moldova among inactive persons, affecting primarily women. The study showed that each third unemployed woman didn’t look for a job the past month because of domestic chores and childcare responsibilities. Women allot two times more time for childcare than men. However, both the nonworking women and men are predisposed to enroll their children in an early education institution. The extension of crèche and kindergarten services is a mandatory condition for the persons out of work with a low socioeconomic level to find a job.

Study author Alina Andronache said each proposed structural intervention aims to complexly address gender inequalities among employers and also among employees and persons out of work. The research confirms the necessity of taking structural measures to primarily adjust the national legal framework on labor so as to improve the gender aspect in labor relations. A recommendation is to increase access to early education services by extending public crèche services and creating alternative childcare services by employers. It is recommended increasing the efficiency and accessibility of extended education programs for children.

“We present this analysis today, when the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence were launched, not accidentally. We consider that to diminish and annihilate violence against women, we need to intervene structurally and basically so as to eliminate all the gender inequalities persisting in all the areas and aspects of life so that both women and men equally enjoy all the employment opportunities and chances,” stated Alina Andronache.

The study was carried out by the CPD in the framework of the project “Women’s Economic Empowerment” that is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and is financed by Sweden. The analysis was based on data generated by the national opinion poll conducted by the sociological company CBS-Axa on three district samples: employers (483 respondents), employed persons (2 sub-samples of 1,120 and 1,090 respondents) and persons out of work (501 respondents).