In North Macedonia, the principles of equality and protection against discrimination are part of the country’s constitutional order, and the broad legal framework of national laws, strategies, programs and action plans directly regulates issues of equal opportunity, women’s participation in the labor market, and the prohibition of discrimination. The legal regulation of these two principles was strengthened in 2010, with the adoption of the Law on Prevention of Discrimination (Official Gazette 50/10) which prohibits any direct or indirect discrimination, calling and inciting discrimination and discriminatory treatment on the basis of sex, race, skin color, ethnicity, language, and other individual characteristics. Work and employment relations are the first areas where this law should be applied by the state and local government bodies, and all legal entities and individuals.
Finance Think, within the project “Gender Equality in the Workplace: Monitoring at the Local Level”, made an analysis aimed at describing equality in the position of women and men in the labor market in North Macedonia and qualitative analysis of employers’ views and workers’ experiences of gender discrimination in employment and the workplace, and mechanisms to prevent them.
The analysis shows that there is an unequal approach between men and women in North Macedonia in the labor market, as well as discrimination in employment and the workplace. Large gender differences in labor market access are observed in terms of male and female activity, with more than half of working-aged women being inactive, and the rate of male activity is at EU level. The reasons for women’s inactivity are multiple, but the main reason is caring for the home and the family and engagement as unpaid family workers.
For more information on the situation in the country, the legal framework, as well as the findings, conclusions and recommendations, read the analysis “Men and women in the labor market – (un)equal participation and treatment”.
“Gender Equality in the Workplace: Monitoring at the Local Level” is one of 15 projects of CSOs fully supported by FOSM to implement activities that will contribute to a better understanding of the process of EU accession of the Republic of North Macedonia.
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29 May 2020