Does labor have a gender?
03.04.2024
According to the results of the third quarter of 2023, the total number of workers in Kazakhstan amounted to 9.5 million people, while the number of employed people showed 9.1 million people. Of course, this is considered a positive indicator for the economy. That is, to a certain extent, the economy manages to prepare new places for new participants in the labor market. The number of employees, amounting to 6.9 million, shows that formal employment prevails in our country. This can be considered an indicator of development, and the rights of workers in the formal sector in the areas of labor protection, social security and health are better protected. At the same time, the number of self-employed reached 2.2 million, which indicates a good level of small and medium-sized businesses. However, on the other hand, a small number of formal jobs can also force people to start their own business. Accordingly, the probability that small and medium-sized enterprises will require government support in the following areas is high: services aimed at business development, access to effective loans, and market stability. However, what is the gender aspect of these quantitative indicators? How low is the gender gap in the labor market in our country? To answer these questions, it is worth analyzing the following indicators.  According to information published by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2022, there are gender differences in labor force participation in our country: The activity of men is 11.3% higher than that of women (74.6% vs. 63.3%). According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the gender gap in the participation of the population in the labor force in Kazakhstan is 12.2% (75.5% vs. 63.3%). Despite the fact that Kazakhstan showed the lowest index of gender inequality in the labor market among the countries of Central Asia and adjacent states, this result still cannot be considered satisfactory. The reasons include quantitative feminization in some sectors, societal gender expectations, and unequal distribution of professional and family responsibilities, which widens the gender gap. In addition, well-established socio-cultural norms support men's labor activity as "masculine", while women face various obstacles to employment, such as childcare, the main burden of household duties falls on women, gender discrimination and stereotypes. Only three countries in the world showed a positive value that is, a negative index: Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Burundi. In these countries, the majority of the workforce is made up of women (the percentages of men and women are as close as possible, but they are several percent higher for women). However, this result is explained by the low overall quality of life in these countries. As for the unemployment rate in Kazakhstan, the overall figure is 4.9%, while the difference between men and women is 1.1%: 4.4% versus 5.5% (according to the ILO). If we look at the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 28, the percentages for men and women are as follows: 2.9% versus 4.9%, the gender gap is 2%. This indicates the difficulties that young women face when entering the labor market. As for long-term unemployment, the gender gap is 1.1%: 1.8% for men and 2.9% for women. This indicator reflects deep structural problems affecting women's employment.  How can we eliminate the gender gap in the labor market? What dangers does it carry? The gender gap in labor participation negatively affects the economy for the following reasons:
Reducing the gender gap in the labor market is an important task. To reduce this gap and systematically create a more open and fair labor market for all participants, the following measures should be taken:
In conclusion, increasing the activity of women in the labor market, support and protection of their labor rights, including equal wages, are important for the economy of our state. As stated in an article published in The Economist in 2021, ignoring women's rights or suppressing their activity by the system is harmful for men as well. States with low women's participation in the labor market have a high risk of becoming economically weak and unstable, so everyone should strive to reduce the gender gap. After all, intelligence and work have no gender.
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