Gender equality in the labor market to be still questionable

Despite similar expectations of women and men regarding the development of professional careers, it is still mostly men who hold the highest positions in companies. 28 percent of ladies believe that it is their gender that makes it difficult for them to get a raise or promotion, according to a study by McKinsey & Company. The problem is, among others the unequal distribution of domestic and upbringing duties between the two sexes, but the strict assessment of their own competencies and abilities by women also requires change. Research shows that not only women but also companies and entire economies are losing out on inequalities in the labor market.

“The role of a woman and a man, and at the same time the professional career of a woman and a man in enterprises, still looks different. For example, women still decide to take maternity leave more often than men do paternity leave,” Kamila Cichocka, marketing director at Microsoft Polska, said.

The 2019 research commissioned by Nationale-Nederlanden ("Dad's Return. Polish fatherhood: full-time or part-time job?") shows that although nine out of ten Poles consider themselves good fathers, mothers are more skeptical about their contribution to routine childcare. For example, almost half of the men declared that they shared household chores with their partners after the birth of their child. However, the women themselves had a different opinion on this subject, of whom only one in three noticed such a situation. In turn, 39 percent of men indicated directly that the household chores rested mostly on the partner.

“The division of duties is still not a partnership,” Kamila Cichocka emphasized.

This is also confirmed by the September report ("Win-win: How empowering women can benefit Central and Eastern Europe"), in which the consulting company McKinsey & Company analyzed gender equality in the labor market in seven countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland. Research has shown that according to 27 percent of respondents career development of women is hampered by problems with maintaining a balance between work and home. The same factor was indicated by 20 percent of men.

(Newseria)