INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SARAJEVO FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ECO455 (LABOR ECONOMICS)

Career and family choices among women in BiH

Denijal Ikanovi Decembar 2012, Sarajevo

Introduction The position of women in all spheres of society, both in economic, social, political is guaranteed in BiHs numerous legislative frameworks, which just represent a normative ideality. This state of women's human rights is primarily caused by the patriarchal legacy, communist past, and the transition period that determines the placing of women's rights into the background. The collective consciousness of people constructed under the veil of tradition and stereotypical attitudes, puts women in the position of mothers, wives and housewives primarily. The state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which is an integral part of the Constitution. Also, the text of the Constitution itself, denies any form of discrimination, including gender. The adoption of the Law on Gender Equality by 2003., Law Against Discrimination in BiH 2009. guaranteed equality in all aspects of society, education, the economy, employment and labor, social security and health care, sports, culture, public life, regardless of marital or family status (CEDAW konvencije za Bosnu i Hercegovinu 2010). Also BiH Established institutional mechanisms to monitor gender equality in BiH, such as: the Agency for Gender Equality of BiH and the Gender Centre of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbian. UN Resolution from 1925, is adopted by the Security Council in 2000. regulating the "important role of women in conflict prevention and peace building, and stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security," Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted a national plan of 27th July 2010, and thus was the first Balkan country to do so (Robert Bogei 2009). Sex is definitely one of the important factors of unemployment, because statistics show that, today, despite the legislation establishing gender equality in the labor market. Of the total 10.4% of the unemployed are women with higher / senior / graduate education, compared to 5.6 % men in the same group. In solving these problems, the state did not provide for positive action, which would have impact on the resolution of the problem of gender inequality in employment. The rights of women are violated in many segments: women are often employed in the so-called "Black market", which was the highest in the area of hospitality and tourism. Women who are employed on fixed-term work, are often exposed to more jobs than those to which they were assigned. Laws are prohibiting, but the data of NGOs show the increasing exposure of women to mobbing, sexual abuse, which is often performed by their superiors. There is a gap between the salaries of men and women, which is absurd indicator when it comes to income and certain benefits for work of equal value. Statutory maternity leave, some employers use to constitute grounds for dismissal, and if there is no intention to denounce, women are forced to maternity low-income and potential threats of losing their jobs before the end of their maternity leave (Jasna Baki-Mufti, 2003).

Women in transition Problems accumulated from the previous period and economic instability, intense with wartime conditions, aggressive nationalism and political pressures have pushed the woman to the difficult tasks to survive in the labor market race without having their families harmed. On the one hand, the lack of finance and time for additional education, lack of awareness of the possibilities and ways to strengthen the individual educational potential, on the other hand, the traditional role of family care and the elderly, resistance to anything that is new and unfamiliar, meeting with the increasing number of private employers in which the emphasis is placed on the outer appearance and age below 35 years, led women to one general metaphorical depression.
Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH

Highly educated women trained in the sixties and seventies, most legal and economic expertise, demotivated and frightened by prolonged low earnings accept any jobs for the sake of serving the families and so enter the gray economy flows. "Research in the focus groups that were conducted in the framework of the development United nations, show that women are often abused at work, especially in small and medium enterprises, that are working in poor conditions without safety and guaranteed rights and to release for maternity leave or childbirth. (Jasna Baki-Mufti 2003) All this reasons in early post war period resulted in demotivation for women to even look for a job. And even there was more women in working age and able to work more man were looking for job but that gap started to lower with time passing.

Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH

After things started to stabilized with BiH as state there was much better situation with position of women in labor market race with man. In early 2000s as we can see on statistics in table on right side women started to catch up with man and taking their previously, in after war period, occupied job positions. This was huge success for Bosnian women due to high number of obstacles they faced and situation in by war destroyed Bosnian economy. Of course that situation still was far from ideal but started to be satisfactory for that point of time.
Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH

Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH

Change in employment is not just seen in employment statistics, it reflected also on statistics with choices between family and carrier of women in, in transition, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We can see that number of marriages started to decline even life perspective raise and as economy and legislation grow. Even it is still not huge decline in mirages but one about 5 % in 2001 it can be considered as huge as it was expected increase due to batter quality of life than in pervious years. The only obvious reason for such happening we can see is working women and their preference of working place than house holding. There is also no significant or interesting change between average age of bride or groom but decline in number in meriages in 2001 started to influence those average ages later and particularly in 2003, yet. All this means that women in Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH 2000s started to have a choice between carrier and family rather than being forced to choose to family instead of carrier as it was case in time communist time and early after war Bosnia and Herzegovina. Former traditional patriarchal concept according to which women are sitting around the house and raised the children while men earn more money is becoming not sustainable anymore. The imposition of culture has simply no justification in modern world, and the maintenance of the ideological dictatorship produces major disagreements in marital relations. But even Bosnian women started to participate more and more the confidence in women is still a very low. That is best seen in table on the left were we can see that rise in participation cant immediately raise confidence in women. Also we can see resistance of environment of that change in society as with more participation they achieved less and that means that society still didt accept women as equal to man.

Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH

Its still share believe that woman can accept unemployment and free work at home. Seemingly "safe" field, well known environment in which there are no surprises, no stress of everyday going to work but there is no chance or are minimized to find a proper job is proper for woman. Over time this position becomes unbearable, often accompanied by underestimating from near and far surrounding, and successively leads to marginalization of women and less self-esteem. And within end of last and beginning of this century women in BiH stand up against that torture and started to bring change with support legislative support. XXI century women in BiH At the beginning of the post-war period, women could opt for smuggling a large bag over his shoulder or a cardboard box. To "mark" their territory in a street corner, and thus begins her "gray" business, which is completely irrelevant to the possession of lower, middle or higher education, but to constant fear of inspection or "competition." There are no office hours, or head over its own head. Works regardless of weather conditions, also ruins its physical and mental health, but it provides an opportunity for some kind of family support. Sometimes women could have another choice and that is prostitution, for the sake of staying in the workplace and hiring which is same or worse. Now with the start of new century even still marginalized position of women is much better. Now women even becoming entrepreneurs. In table that shows person in employment by status in employment and sex in BiH for 2005 we can see that even women still perform unpaid family business there is huge amount of self-employed women Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH which counts about 45 000 of self-employed which is more than one quarter of total selfemployed labor in BiH and 15,8 % of women employed. Still small percentage in comparison with Europe developed countries and man but without too big backlog. That means that capital becomes available to women now and that is huge perspective for future increase in number of employed women. This further means that women now has a choice and escape from being abused worker. In order to work, woman in past had to, "agrees" the impossibility of vertical progression, accept unpaid overtime, was exposed to mobbing and sexual harassment, to perform tasks that are vague or are not in the job description, to agree with unpaid contributions and taxes, was exposed to possibility of dismissal without any guaranteed rights notice or
Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH

explanation. All this is still not become only past it is still reality but in decreased in quantity a lot as women reached capital and becoming self-employed or employers.

Again facts mentioned above lead to further increase in motivation for looking for job as it number increases every year at rate of approximately 5 % and high portion of workin age women becomes available on labor market. Number of women looking for job is still smaller than one of male but more and more closer to that number. Motivation to look for a job where is high competition in, by war damaged, Bosnian economy is increased. High competitiveness Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005 Agencija za statistiku BiH means that rivalries have to look for competitive advantage. And in labor market things that produce competitive advantage are experience, training, knowledge and level of education. (CEDAW konvencije za Bosnu i Hercegovinu, 2010) Experience for most of women in labor market was not available in post war BiH. That means that Bosnian women had to turn to other inputs to competitive advantage in order to increase it. Experience, training, knowledge and level of education can all be grouped together and come out of one which is education. Bosnian women realized it at very early and it is best seen on graph on right. On graph is shown that women graduate at very high rate at Gender Bosne I Hercegovine III 2007 Agencija za statistiku BiH beginning of the century we live now and higher than man at almost one third rate. But still in 2007 they suffer lower education level than man due to previous socialistic and communist times that were in favor of man.

Conclusion It becomes more and more clear that in BiH in last few years women are one that is in better and better position especially by legislative. Weve at beginning said that the position of women in all spheres of society, both in economic, social, political is guaranteed in BiHs numerous legislative frameworks, but it still represent a normative

ideality. This state of women's human rights is primarily caused by the patriarchal legacy, communist past, and the transition period that determines the placing of women's rights into the background. The collective consciousness of people constructed under the veil of tradition and stereotypical attitudes, puts women in the position of mothers, wives and housewives primarily. Which means
Gender Bosne I Hercegovine III 2009 Agencija za statistiku BiH

they have to choose between career and family and somehow under social pressure in higher rate choose family as it this society easily accepts but every day there is some change on it. As some one raise voice against it more and more follow them.
Gender Bosne I Hercegovine XII 2011 Agencija za statistiku BiH

Voice raised means that women wants to be heard and part of decision making system and when they become significant part of it I am sure that they would be far more less obliged to choose between family or career. Even now there are some advanced steps forward and that women are becoming important factor in decision making process of BiH state is best seen through statistics.

From these statistical data we can see that women are more and more lauder and poses more and more instruments or tools to battle for their life choices. Also we can see that prejudice about women at workplace is becoming to extinct and women in higher rate show that they are same or even more capable than man. To conclude story about rights, women in Bosnia and Herzegovina today has all proper mechanisms to protect their choices of career but is society habits and tradition force them to not reject family. If you are women in here family choice is one you must have the only choice women here can make is to put it on first or second place. And as time passes somehow it becomes more and more second choice and race with man becomes more important than marriage and children with same.
Gender Bosne I Hercegovine XII 2011 Agencija za statistiku BiH

As we can see choice of family is being slightly postponed by years passing by. As women less and less or latter and latter choose family they more and more prefer career. This means they still keep higher rates of

Gender Bosne I Hercegovine XII 2011 Agencija za statistiku BiH

Gender Bosne I Hercegovine XII 2011 Agencija za statistiku BiH

Gender Bosne I Hercegovine XII 2011 Agencija za statistiku BiH

graduating on yearly basis in order to reach and occupy better positions on labor market. And they succeed at high rates yet. So it is clear that prospects of women in Bosnia developed much more faster than Bosnia it selves and I hope that men are not next one to fight for their rights and choices. Refferences Bogei, Robert. Obitelj i(li) karijera, Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova i europskih integracija Republike Hrvatske. september, 2009 Zagreb print Baki-Mufti, Jasna. ene u politikom i javnom ivotu, lanice Radne grupe: ene enama, Sarajevo, July 2003. ar, Sarajevo Helsinki parlament graana, Banja Luka, Budunost, Modria print CEDAW konvencije za Bosnu i Hercegovinu, ALTERNATIVNI IZVJETAJ O IMPLEMENTACIJI CEDAW KONVENCIJE I ENSKIM LJUDSKIM PRAVIMA U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI Alternativni izvjetaj o implementaciji CEDAW konvencije za Bosnu i Hercegovinu, 2010. CEDAW Sarajevo print Mr Zdenko Milinovic. Gender Bosne I Hercegovine I 2005. Gender Bosne I Hercegovine Tematski bilten br 3, Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Trg Bosne i Hercegovine 1, Print Mr Zdenko Milinovic. Gender Bosne I Hercegovine III 2007. Gender Bosne I Hercegovine Tematski bilten br 3, 2007. Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Zelenih beretki 26, Print Mr Zdenko Milinovic. Women and man in Bosnia and Herzegovina III 2009. Gender Bosne I Hercegovine Tematski bilten br 3, 2009. Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Zelenih beretki 26, Print Mr Zdenko Milinovic. Women and man in Bosnia and Herzegovina XII 2011. Gender Bosne I Hercegovine Tematski bilten br 3, 2011. Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Zelenih beretki 26, Print