Women at the labour market in Republic of Macedonia

1. Women at the labour market in Republic of Macedonia National Council of women of Republic of Macedonia - UWOM

2. General conditions • The changes that happen in Republic of Macedonia in the process of transition had negative influence on the economic situation of the women, their employment and the valuation of their labour • According to the Labour Law, women and men have equal rights and possibilities and equal treatment in the process of working • The actual condition shows that the Laws are not implementing totally and women at the labour market are facing with different kinds of discrimination and problems that have influence on their economic status

3. Labour Law • The general regulations from the Labour Law, in the segment “Inhibition of discrimination” – Article 6 (2) says: „ Equal opportunities and equal treatment through employment, working progression, qualification, education, prequalification, payments, rewarding, absence from work, working conditions, working time and cancelling of the working Agreement must be secure to the women and men”

4. In the segment Direct and Indirect discrimination in Article 7, the conditions under which, direct and indirect discrimination is done, are more detail defined The Part “Inhibition of dismissal” because of pregnancy, birth and parenthood, Article 101 (1) says: „The Employer must not cancel the Employment Agreement of the workers during the pregnancy, birth and parenthood and absence because of nursing and care for children” Labour Law

5. Labour Law • With the „Labour Law“ in the part Special care are ordered issues related to the protection of women during the pregnancy and parenthood, absence of work and right to salary during the birth leave

6. Equal Opportunity Law for women and men • Equal opportunity Law is adopted in 2006, whose general goal is promotion of the principle for establishment of equal opportunity for women and men in the political, economic, social, educational area, and also in the other areas in the social life • With Article 3, according to the Equal opportunity Law the discrimination based on sex in the public and private sector in the area of employment and labour, education, social safety, culture and sport, is forbidden

7. National Plan for Action for gender equality 2007 – 2012 • The strategic area of functioning: “Women and employment” Is focused toward increase of the rate of employment among women in the total rate of employment and strengthening of the economic status of women in Republic of Macedonia This area contains 4 strategic goals: • Increase of the rate of employment among women in the total rate of employment • Improvement, advancement and strengthening of the economic status of the women • Support of the process of transition from informal to formal economy in the service sector (care for children, care for elderly people, hygiene etc.) • Increase rate of employment of the women in the rural areas

8. Analyze of unemployment (men/women) • The overall rate of employment in Republic of Macedonia for the year 2007, according to the data from the State Statistical Office, is 36,2%. The rate of employed women is 39,2%. • The total number of unemployed persons in Republic of Macedonia for 2007 year, according to the State Statistic Office is 316.905 • The rate of unemployed women, according to the data of the State Agency for employment is 40,3%, in other words from the total unemployed population (316 905), 127 599 are women.

9. Structure of unemployed women – due to their national background • The structure of unemployed women, due to their national background and according to the data of the Agency for employment of Republic of Macedonia (31.12.2007) is the following: • 1. Macedonian women– 44,8% • 2. Albanian women – 33,7% • 3. Turkish women – 34,2% • 4.Roma women – 41,9 % • 5. Srbian women – 39,0% • 6. Vla women 31,1%

10. Structure of unemployed women – due to their age • - The structure of unemployed women due to their age, according to the data from the Agency for employment in Republic of Macedonia (31.12.2007) is the following: • aged 15-19 years (total 9213) from which 4147 are women or 45% • aged 20 – 24 years (total 44.884) from which 20.864 are women or 46,5% • aged 25 – 29 years (total 50.375), from which 23.899 are women, 47,4% • aged 30 – 34 years (total 45.887), women are 20.653, 45,0% • aged 35 – 39 years (total 42.909) from which 18.306 are women, 42,7% • aged 40 – 44 years (total 41.944), from which 17.600 are women, 42,0% • aged 45-49 years ( total 38.018) from which 15.307 are women, 40,3% • aged 50-54 years ( total 35.956) , from which 13.968 are women, 38,8% • aged 55-59 years ( total 31.156) from which 9974 are women, 32,0% • from 60 and more ( total 16.825) from which 3353 are women, 19,9%

11. Activities of the Government of Republic of Macedonia • The Government of the Republic of Macedonia adopted a Strategy for employment until 2010 and National Action Plan for employment for 2006-2010year • For 2007 the Governement of Republic of Macedonia implemented Operational Plan for active policy and measures for employment, that are the following: - Active policy for employment (local infrastructure and help) public activities in the local self-government units - Support for selfemployment (family businesses) – support to young unemployed until 27 years - Engaging unemployed persons and undeveloped regions in architecture, ecology etc. - Subventions for employment of single parents, invalid persons and children without parents - Trainings and advices for unemployed for prequalifications, contacts with the employers, upgrating knowledge and skills, comuter trainings and foregn languages.

12. 2008 Activities of the Government of Republic of Macedonia • Also for the 2008 the Government of Republic of Macedonia adopted Operational Plan for active programs and measures for employment. • Beside this, implementation of the Project for selfemployement with lending under acceptable conditions was started.

13. Obstacles, with whom women at the labour market, are facing with • Influence of the prejudices and stereotypes and rigorous gender labour division • High number of women as unpaid family workers • Very low salaries in the textile and confection industry • Discrimination of the young women that are for the first time at the labour market • Unequal treatment of the women form the rural area; women aged 40 – 55 years • Working on black market and signing blank Agreements • Women are passing 51% more time for unpaid work for sick member of the family, then the men

14. Discrimination through employing, through announcing of working positions only for men or with advantage of men or vice versa • Discrimination related to the economic status (property possession) • Low profitable actions in which are working women on lower positions • The biggest number of new employment among the women are employment on certain time, with part-time and in the last period more present model – Act Agreement • Unfavorable working conditions and reduced working protection

15. Activities of the NCWM - UWOM • Initiatives for changing and addition of the legal frame • Lobbying to the authorized institutions for changing of the Laws • Cooperation with the civil organizations and Section of women within the Union of syndicates of Republic of Macedonia in the area of economic strengthening of women • Reaction with reference to the decrease of the birth leave from 9 to 3 months and the conditions for retirement

16. Training – business Centre for women • Education, informing and intermediation through employment of women • Strengthening of knowledge and skills of the women and increase of their labour market competition • Development of network of successful business women and managers, as mentors of women who want to open their own business

17. Directions for overcoming of the actual conditions • Adopted Law for inhibition of work at the black market • Incorporation of the legal obligation for keeping of gender separated statistic • Conduction, following and sanctioning of the cases of discrimination based on sex representation • Awareness raising, informing and educating of workers for the solutions built-in the labour regulations

18. Introduction of explicit legal regulation that will obligate the Employers to inform the women for the working conditions that can influence on their reproductive rights • Introduction of concrete regulation that will secure returning of the women workers on their working positions, with the same qualifications, without professional degradation of the women after the birth leave