Men and women in the Central, Eastern Europe and Newly Independent States have high life expectancy and high literacy rates. But when it comes to economic wellbeing, the situation is more troubling, especially for women. The economic and social transformation that took place after the fall of communism has resulted in lower standards of living for much of the population and a return to more traditional attitudes towards gender.
The transition to a market economy brought a series of negative impacts on the region. Poverty has increased as employment is no longer guaranteed by the state and people must struggle to earn a living. High unemployment afflicts both women and men in the region, but women suffer to a greater extent than men because of growing gender disparities. Unemployment rates among women are especially high in the Republic of Moldova where women constitute 68 per cent of the unemployed, and in Armenia, where women make up 66 per cent. This is partly because of a return to traditional values, which has intensified the inequalities of women’s participation in the economy. In addition, because women generally have more limited access to professional associations or informal networks that could help them strengthen their careers, many are unemployed, underemployed or relegated to doing domestic chores. And although literacy rates are still high overall, they are decreasing for girls in rural areas. Gender disparities are also evident in average earnings. Women’s wages can be 20 to 50 per cent lower than a man’s, for instance in Georgia where women earn as little as 40 per cent of a man’s income. Women are concentrated in the low-paid state sector, or in the rapidly growing sphere of informal employment, which brings with it reduced labour rights and few social benefits. Men’s and women’s health has also suffered. Stress levels have increased dramatically in men, adversely affecting their health and longevity. Many male migrant workers return to their countries of origin in such poor health they can no longer sustain physical work. For women, reproductive health services are less available and of inferior quality, taking its toll on their health. In Georgia, for example, the maternal mortality rate has doubled over the past decade and women’s access to prenatal care has dropped by nearly half. Transition has also added to women’s double burden of earning an income and filling their caretaking role in the household. This was worsened by the reduction in the number of social services available for working mothers as state financing dried up and facilities were damaged or looted. In Albania, for instance, the number of kindergartens dropped by 42 per cent between 1990 and 2000. The lack of recognition women receive for the work they do at home contributes to their economic marginalization. As women’s economic contribution has declined they have lost bargaining power and now have a diminished role in decision-making. Women have lost ground in political representation. Whereas before the transition women were well represented politically on both the national and local level, they now find themselves pushed out of public life. Women’s representation in national government varies from zero to 18 per cent, severely limiting their influence on the social and economic policies that affect their lives. Political representation by women tends to be concentrated in local posts rather than as holders of parliamentary seats. On the positive side, decentralization reforms throughout the region have increased the importance of local government, and women have made steady gains in local electoral politics. Conflict in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina has led to an increase in households headed by women. That number is also rising throughout the region because of male migration, as men go abroad in search of work. This phenomenon is especially acute in rural areas of certain countries, for instance Azerbaijan and Georgia. Women now count as the head of the household in about a quarter of homes in many countries in the region, further contributing to women’s economic marginalization. Left without male support in the uncertain conditions of the market economy, many women are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Men and women have different experiences when they leave their country looking for employment. The large majority of successful migrants from eastern and south-eastern Europe are men. Women, on the other hand, account for 58 per cent of victims of forced labour. Trafficking of women for prostitution has become a major criminal enterprise and is a growing problem for some countries in the region including the Republic of Moldova and Albania. Women may fall prey to unscrupulous recruiters who deceive them, keep their identity documents and restrict their freedom of movement. Trafficking takes advantage of the vulnerability and gender inequalities in poor communities, especially in rural areas. Most victims are rural women who leave the countryside hoping to escape poverty. All countries in the region have committed to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including MDG 3 to promote gender equality and empower women. Policies are putting a strong emphasis on women as an indispensable and decisive force in the region, articulated through efforts to meet the MDGs, and in country poverty reduction strategies. Source: IFAD |
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Gender equality was one of the major achievements of the socialist regime, including equal access to schooling, health care, employment, and to some extent political representation. Women and men had high literacy rates and equal access to social benefits such as pensions. Great emphasis was placed on employment, as both a right and a duty for both men and women. Indeed levels of female employment in the region before the transition often exceeded those of OECD countries. Social services including nurseries, kindergartens and day-care were considered part of the work environment, rather than a burden to be placed on the family.