Equal Pay and Gender Mainstreaming: The Case of Estonia

1. Equal Pay and Gender Mainstreaming:The Case of Estonia Anu Laas Equal pay and gender mainstreaming: Monitoring the European employment strategy Seminar.ETUI, Brussels, November 18-19, 2002

2. Content I. Gender pay gap in Estonia.Changes during the transition period II. National policies to tackle unequal pay III. The impact of the EES IV. Policies from a gender mainstreaming perspective V. Policy recommendations Case of Estonia

3. I. Gender pay gap in EstoniaChanges during the transition period

4. Share of women’s hourly wage out of men’s hourly gross wage, 1994 and 2000 (%) Case of Estonia

5. Case of Estonia

6. Gender pay gap for same job University of Tartu Women got less paid appr 25%, wage desire also lower Gross wage income in September 1998 and desired monthly salary by sex (index 1,0 = 3518 EEK or 258 USD, an average monthly salary before taxes in September 1998 at University of Tartu, all respondents, N=695) Case of Estonia

7. Case of Estonia

8. Female work in 2001 • about every fifth woman is employed in professional jobs (70,3% - female work – F) • the next out of five is technician or associate professional (70,7% - F) • every fifth woman is working in sales or services (79,3% - F) Case of Estonia

9. Low pay • Low pay is a serious social problem • Sometimes there is low pay + informal pay (lack of data) • In agriculture is low pay and smallest gender gap  from one side salaries near to minimum, from other side farmers do not pay salaries to themselves (some social tax paid) Case of Estonia

10. Low pay cont. • Many women are self employed • No data by sex, 2 registers • Commercial Register has about 20,000, tax offices about 40,000 • Many self employed people pay only social tax  actually not enough compensation in case of sick leave and low pension is expected Case of Estonia

11. Low pay cont. • Unions are negotiating a minimum wage (annually) • Employers organisations’ voice is strong and they say: we are starting to loose our competitive advantage Case of Estonia

12. Retail and whole sale are overcrowded Lack of business ideas  self employment in sales and services Low investment skills and power The highest gender pay gap between service workers and shop and market sales workers, but gap has diminished • out of ten - eight women • out of women - every fifth woman Case of Estonia

13. Speculations • Many women ready to work in sales • Many small shops, high uncertainty and employer’s insecurity • Lack of cash - informal salary • People are divided to small and fragmented collectives – no unions • No unions and collective actions – insecurity of employees Case of Estonia

14. Employed persons aged 15-69 by type of ownership, 1989-2001 (%) Case of Estonia

15. How the economic transition influenced the gender pay gap? Rapid restructuring of Estonian economy Imbalance in labour demand and supply Pay differences between women and men in late 1980s, beginning of the 1990s about 18-20%, in 1994 – 29%, in 2000 - 25% Gendered outcome: gender pay gap has increased during the transition period Case of Estonia

16. II. National policies to tackle unequal pay

17. Main National policies to tackle unequal pay before and  after the EES • To what extent these policies follow a gender mainstreaming approach? Case of Estonia

18. Before EES • Silence • Gender issues raised on national level after Beijing (1995) • Small talk on gender issues • Statements: Women earn less than men. It is normal. Everybody knows. • No debates on gender pay gap Case of Estonia

19. III. The impact of the EES National Action Planfor employment 2002 (NAP)

20. NAP gives anonymous promises • in 2001-2003 a strategy and methods will be worked out to integrate gender equality into the areas of employment and occupational life • strengthening of the policy to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men is one of the priority activities Case of Estonia

21. NAP • about gender pay gap is not a word • about gender pay gap is not a word • about gender pay gap is not a word Case of Estonia

22. Women in labour market • High women’s employment rate • In 2001, employment rate for women aged 15-74 was 50,7% and for working age women 62,5% • Lack of choices – women’s income needed • Individual agreements - low salaries Case of Estonia

23. Employment rate of women by age group Case of Estonia

24. Employment rate by sex and age group, 1989 (%) Case of Estonia

25. Employment rate by sex and age group, 2001 (%) Case of Estonia

26. Unemployment rate Case of Estonia

27. Gender awareness of unequal pay • Publication by the Ministry of Social Affairs ‘Guidelines for equal pay for equal work to men and women’ • Distributed: (1)public agencies (2) NGOs • Society values success, social exclusion people perceive pay problem as personal one (low pay  I am inflexible, failed) Case of Estonia

28. Statistical monitoring of unequal pay: statistics • Statistical Office of Estonia (SOE) • adoption of the statistical acquis • continuousLabour Force Survey, Household Budget Survey, Time Use Survey • web-based statistical database: www.stat.ee • hourly wages by ISCO (annually in October)  lack of gender sensitive data by branch of economyand lack of data from microenterprises Case of Estonia

29. Gender research • Courses in two universities • Marginal area, no degree program available • No systematic courses to officials and educators (preschool and school teachers) • Applied gender research is often gender blind Case of Estonia

30. No pressure, no need, no activities • Labour laws are good, not implemented • People accept conservative gender ideology • Women who struggle against societal values stay alone against media and public opinion • Only opinion leaders can have ‘strange views’ on women and men in society Case of Estonia

31. Marju Lauristin (MP) Surveys and statistics show that Estonia is a society, which is adapting very slowly to the understandings and relations to the modern world. Case of Estonia

32. Toomas Hendrik Ilves (MP) I am a bit worried, my honoured colleagues! It seems me that men will decide among themselves what are women’s rights. I do not believe that it is good for our state that our men decide what women can do and what they cannot, when women are discriminated and they are not. Case of Estonia

33. Ilves about Gender Equality Act • It is drafted to avoid these thousands of cases, where a woman gets less paid for same job. A woman is not hired, because she can get pregnant. • A woman is fired the first when there is a need to choose among male and female employees. It is very practical problem, which many people facing in Estonia. Case of Estonia

34. Empowerment of women’s movement • About 200 women’s organisations – cooperation on national level weak (like clubs in 1989-2000). In 2002 support to CEDAW shadow report and to draft Gender Equality Act • Weakness: low income  low enthusiasm and voluntary work • Leadership skills and capacity building • Consensus building Case of Estonia

35. Empowerment of labour market players: ministries Employment and labour market policy: Ministry of Social Affairs • Estonian Labour Market Board • Labour Inspectorate (supervision, monitoring) Enterprise policy: Ministry of Economics • Enterprise Estonia – agencies and measures (some pay attention to women) Case of Estonia

36. Empowerment of labour market players: unions • Two dominant confederations, divided between private and public sectors • Union density 15% in Estonia, same in Lithuania, Poland Spain (Latvia 30%, Slovenia 41%) • Strong myth that gender gap in public sector does not exist (gap is lower, it’s true) Case of Estonia

37. Private and public sector unions EAKL – Confederation of Estonian Trade Unions • Federation of Estonian Health Care • Professionals Unions - more than 3000 members Union of textile industry employees - 5000 members TALO - Professional Union of Civil Servants Case of Estonia

38. Priority areas in EAKL Action Plan • more and better jobs for women • gender issues in collective bargaining • equal pay for work of equal value • access for women to promotion • gender awareness for men and women union members and employers • combating violence against women at work • life-long education for women Case of Estonia

39. Target group: all members • In hotel: ‘Our sauna is unisex, towels needed in order to respect other users.’ • EAKL accepts importance of equal treatment principle • EAKL negotiates minimum wages on national level and by industry and qualification • EAKL is active in collective bargaining and monitors collective agreements Case of Estonia

40. No complaints on a basis of sex • EAKL: No complaints about unfair wages and unequal treatment on a basis of sex • EAKL staff is aware about gender pay gap • Real problem and complaints due to low pay • Vital interest of members is higher salary • It is true that implementation of promised policies and principles are complicated and time consuming Case of Estonia

41. IV. Policies from a gender mainstreaming perspective

42. Effectiveness of these policies • Training for officials from different ministries (occasional selection, alone in ministry, no voice heard) • From other side officials know that in plans, reports, projects gender dimension should be reflected) Case of Estonia

43. Policy contradictions • GM – soolise võrdõiguslikkuse süvalaiendamine (deepening & widening gender equality) • Rhetoric has learned for policy papers • Conversation and text analysis shows that gender issues are ‘uneatable’ Case of Estonia

44. Discourse on nature, culture and ‘poor men’ • Women and men are performing their roles dedicated to them by nature. • Gender equality does not fit to Estonian society and culture. • Men live short and stressful life in Estonia and need should be protected. • Why for women? Case of Estonia

45. Institutional framework • Equality Bureau since 1996 • 1-4 persons, small resources (mostly from abroad), project based, dependent • The Legal Chancellor (acts as ombudsman), no gender experts among staff Case of Estonia

46. Legal framework • Gender Equality Act (1999-2000 prepared by dozen experts, Dec 2001-Sept 2002 in Riigikogu) • Equality and Equal Treatment Act (April 2002 prapared by 4 persons, in Sept 2002 in Riigikogu) Case of Estonia

47. Strengths and weaknesses • Some basis has created • Weak desire for equality Case of Estonia

48. V. Policy recommendations

49. Creation of preconditions • Capacity building of Equality Bureau • National strategy for improvement gender equality • Implementing existing laws and conventions • Improving legal literacy • Adopting Gender Equality Act / Equality and Equal Treatment Act Case of Estonia

50. Awareness and acceptance • Introduction of gender inequality indicators and improvement of data gathering (segregated data by sex, gender research) • Public discussions about gender inequality • Discussions and debates on gender pay gap • Training of main socialisation agents about gender issues Case of Estonia