Seminar on gender equality

For more intense action we need precise gender statistics on gender equality in working environments

The Women Section of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia held a seminar on gender equality in working environments in Macedonia. The speakers were Emil Krstanovski of the International Labour Organisation – Skopje Office who spoke on "The gender gap in wages in Macedonia" and Violeta Dimovska on "Equal opportunities for men and women."

The President of CCM Zivko Mitrevski addressed to the Seminar telling the  members of the section that women have great potential in expanding the trade union activities. Sseveral forms of education are planned, such school for women trade union leaders.

Emil Krstanovski talked about the results of research on the gender gap in Macedonia. The results show that despite the prevailing opinion that there are differences in wages, discrimination in Macedonia is quite widespread. Among workers with primary education the women are paid 67,1 % of the wages that earned by men, while as a whole at national level women are 17,5 % less paid than men. Also, growing insecurity of jobs, part-time employment and lower earnings mostly affect women.

One of the reasons for that is the low rate of union organizing in the female population, Krstanoski stressed, explaining the need for implementation of the ILO Convention 100 on equal remuneration.

Violeta Dimovska talked about objective and subjective circumstances in implementing the Law on equal opportunities for men and women.