Position of women in society and labour market

1. Position of women in society and labour market Case study: Bulgaria

2. General data on the position of women in the society • Political tradition, Constitutional rights: • Tarnovo Constitution 1879- passive voting right for the women; • The Constitution from 1947: active and passive voting right for all over 18 years of age; Chapter of basic rights and duties proclaims the equality between men and women- par.2 of art.72 to the right to work, payment for equal work, right to repose, right to social insurance, pension and education; special protection for working women- mothers and child-care provisions, kindergartens, paid maternity leave

3. Political tradition, constitutional rights- continuation • The Constitution from 1971: reaffirming the voting rights, as well the special protection for working women • The Constitution from 1991: reaffirming the political and voting rights for women • Working rights, art. 48, par.1 • Ratified ILO Conventions in gender area: C100- equal remuneration; C111 against discrimination in occupation and professions; C183 on motherhood protection; UN Convention on elimination for all forms of discrimination against women, 1979

4. Special protective rights • In case of motherhood: In Labour Code- 365 days paid leave before -45 days and after birth, 2 years paid leave + 1 year unpaid; 3 years recognition of service; child allowances are still very low • In a case of pregnancy: Labour Code- protective working environment; also breastfeeding regulations, but problems in implementation because of transformation of labour market

5. Gender Statistics • Demography: 51,6% women share in the population (7 801 300, 2003) • Birth rate: last position in the world according the World Bank report April 2005: 8 new born at 1000; minus 8,7% growth rate – difference betw. births and dead per 1000 people /2003/; 1,42 child average in family, 2008; at the same time the highest rate in CEE for children born outside the wedlock- 50,2% in 2008 due to some ethnic specifics and new forms of living in a household • GNP per capita: from 1985 till 2001 trend minus 12,6%, 217 USD per person in 2001; but 2005 trend to growth of 5,7%; feminization of poverty- alone living elder pensioners, single mothers, disabled women, ethnic groups, women in the border areas

6. Statistics- gender • 60,8% of all population is in the working age • Structure of the working force: 53,1% men, 49,9% female. 54,3% coefficient of employment: 53,0% men, 47% women (MLSP 2004); coefficient of economic activity of women 62,1% in 2008 • Unemployment rate: 12,1% for the first 9 months 2004, 54,7% are women, for women higher in the age group 24-34 and after 45 years: 15.9% and 13,8% (2003, NSI); in 1993 -21,4% unemployed in 2003- 15,3% • Wage pay gap: women gain 80-87% of the men’s salaries 2004-2008; 13-15% lower of the men’s payments; impact on the pensions • Employment sectors for women: education- 81,1%; health care- 80,2%, financial services/agencies – 71,6%; about 55% of all employed in the services are women

7. Position of women in the labour market • Decreasing tendency: Index of economic activity- IEA and Index of employment IE • For men: IEA drops with 7,2% for 10 years period: from 60.5% in 1993 to 53.3% in 2003 • For women: IEA of 11% decreases from 55.5% in 1993 to 44.1% in 2003

8. Specific problems for women in labour • Access for young women in the age group 25-34 to jobs- dilemma to choose between a job and family; employers participation in enforcement of legally binding rights is required • The age group over 45 years: most problematic

9. Social assistance for women • Children’s allowances- very low after the age of 2 of the child– 10 Euro a month dependent on the income of family (110 euro per person) • Decreasing number of kindergartens- only 6 of 1000 children are visiting before the age of 6; traditional model of raising children at home (grandmothers, daily care “mothers”); private kitas; community financed- fees to high for some families • General cuts in social expenditures in the state budget – mostly reflects single mothers with small children

10. Labour market statistics- women • Coefficient of unemployment for 2008- 6,31% • Coefficient of unemployment for women in 2007 is 7,3%; 6,6% for men • Coefficient of economic activity of women is 62,1% 2007; 70,6% for men • Coefficient of long-term unemployed women is 4,5% 2007; 3,7% of men • The education level of the women is high /share of women amongst the persons with high education is 52,5% /2005/

11. Summary, main problems of working women • Still low the coefficient of employment for women • Existing horizontal and vertical segregation on gender on the labour market • Pay gap decreasing, but still existing • The women are frequently affected by the unemployment than men • The poverty is feminised; the women stay long term in poverty than the men bcs. of the lower salaries and later on lower pensions; the old women, single mothers and women from some ethnic groups are highly exposed to social exclusion and poverty • The women in Bulgaria are not willing to work part-time bcs. of the lower payment and of the insufficient number of offers for that kind of jobs on the labour market

12. Summary, main problems of working women • The women in Bulgaria hardly reconcile the professional, personal and family life • The women of ethnic groups /Roma, Moslems/, the women in small town and villages are more often exposed to the home violence • The problems of the young women are not on the Agenda of the society • The participation of women in politics and in decision making is still low: 22% in the Parliament; 9% women are mayors; women in the local parliaments/governments are 22%