Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia seen through MICS data – some of the roots of gender inequalities on the labour market Marija Babovic University of Belgrade & SeConS – Development Initiative Group

Acknowledgment Presentation enabled by the courtesy of UNICEF Serbia – data from unpublished study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS Data’

What is added value of life course approach? Gender specific situations, problems, needs, as well as gender gaps and inequalities are age-related and influenced by the differences in access to resources specific for different stages in the life course. Significance of gendered pathways, trajectories and transitions – foundations set in one stage in the life course have consequences in the next one. Policies should target roots not only consequences. Synchronization and institutionalization of life course – rigidities of social policies and institutional framework.

Discrimination at the labour market

Employer’s attitudes If they are equally qualified for the position, to whom they will give advantage? Person younger than 30 Person older than 30 Doesn’t matter 68% 2% 30% Men Women 23% 10% 67% Person with working experience Person with no working experience 70% 3% 27% Local person Internally displaced person 1% 72% Non-Roma person Roma person 37% 61% Source: SeConS (2009) Position of IDPs on the Labour Market

Gender discrimination starts early, and in the family… Percentage of children old 36-59 months with whom biological father and mother engaged in at least one activity that promote learning during last 3 days by gender, Serbia and Roma settlements, 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Mean number of activities with biological father and mother over the last 3 days, by gender of children old 36-59 months Serbia and Roma settlements, 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, forthcoming

Access to employment, gender segregation and inequalities in unpaid work

Examples Share of women among entrepreneurs – 26% (SeConS, 2011) Share of women among managers – 25% (SeConS, 2014) Share of women among family helpers – 71% (LFS, 2014) Share of women among farm managers - 16%, Share of women among farm family helpers labour force – 63% (Bogdanov, Babovic).

Unpaid work in the household, married women, 2011

Where are roots?

Education Gender gaps are most prominent in the primary school completion with difference in favour of girls in general population, and in favour of boys in population living in Roma settlements. In secondary school, gender gap is in favour of girls in general population, among children living in Roma settlements, gap is in favour of boys.

Gender parity index for secondary school (national), Serbia and Roma settlements, 2014   2014 General Roma settlements Secondary school Total 1.08 0.53 Education of mother No school 0.3 Primary school 1.18 0.72 Secondary 0.98 Higher 1.02 Wealth index poorest 60 percent 1.14 0.57 Richest 40 percent 0.5 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Participation in economic activities and child labour Age specific thresholds for age 12-14: For economic activities 14 hours per week For household chores 28 hours per week Age specific thresholds for age 15-17: For economic activities 43 hours per week For household chores 43 hours per week

Participation in economic activities * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Structure of child engagement in economic activities by sex, adolescents 15-17, Serbia and Roma settlements, 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Structure of child engagement in household chores by sex, Serbia and Roma settlements 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Prevalence of child labour, Serbia and Roma settlements, adolescents 15-17, 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Gendered pathways from adolescence to adulthood Divergent gendered pathways among late adolescents and youth: boys pushed towards labour, girls towards school. Earlier withdrawal of boys and young men from education limit their employment and wellbeing prospects, but at the end give them advantage over girls and young women who lack experience. Marriage and childbearing(particularly early) lead to lower educational attainment and exclusion from labour market.

Percentage of young men and women (18-24) attending school at the time of survey, by school adjusted age, Serbia and Roma settlements, 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Age at first delivery, women 18-49, Serbia 2014 Early child beraring (before age of 18) among women 18-24: 1.4% in national sample and 38.3% in Roma settlements 17% of women old 15-49 years living in Roma settlements married before age of 15 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Early childbearing – women aged 20-24 years who have had a live birth before age 18, Serbia and Roma settlements, 2014   Serbia Roma settlements % No. of women Total 1.4 562 38.3 377 Area Densely populated 218 41.4 137 Intermediate 0.6 133 37.9 147 Thinly populated 1.8 210 34.3 92 Education None (*) 9 46.8 72 Primary 5.7 49 42.1 253 Secondary* 1.6 179 8.0 52 17% of women old 15-49 years living in Roma settlements married before age of 15 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Women 18-49 according to education level attended, Serbia, 2014

Increase of educational levels with Bolognization... ...are conditional. Only if life is focused on education as single pathway. Marriage, parenting, employment, increase risks of drop out from university and lower educational attainments.

Women by educational attainment, marital status and childbearing, general population, 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Women by educational attainment, marital status and childbearing, Roma settlements, 2014 * From UNICEF Study ‘Gender Aspects of Life Course in Serbia Seen through MICS data’, fortcoming

Conclusions Inequalities on the labour market have roots in earlier stages in the life course. From MICS data we can identify several: Gendered upbringing practices and support for learning provided by mothers and fathers; Gendered patterns of participation in ‘productive’ and ‘reproductive economy’ socialization with ‘public’ and ‘private’ spheres; Negative effects of marriage and childbearing on educational achievement.

How policies address these issues? New Strategy for Gender Equality with Action Plan: targeting both spheres of ‘productive’ and ‘reproductive’ economic participation. Educational policies are rigid – no way back for early school leavers, no possibilities to combine schooling with parenthood and work. Policies offer choices: ‘either-or’ type not opportunities to chose multiple pathways.

Thank you for your attention mbabovic@f.bg.ac.rs Thank you for your attention