Civil Society Organization FemPlatz: Status of Women Worsening - They’re Paid Less, at Higher Risk of Poverty

Photo: Media center in Belgrade

Over the period of two years, from 2021 to 2023, Serbia dropped in the Global Gender Gap Index ranking from 19th to 38th position, it was said at the March 19 presentation of the annual report titled “Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in Serbia in 2023.”

FemPlatz, a civil society organization, said the report underlined the still unequal status of women, particularly of women in groups affected by multiple discrimination, and also that investments in gender equality had been insufficient and that Serbia was still far away from gender equality in all aspects of life.

FemPlatz Executive Director Biljana Janjic said that although women were more educated, the unemployment percentage was higher among women, with a share of around 56 percent in the total number of jobless. The average wage gap between women and men had been widening, standing at 8.8 percent in 2018 and hitting 14.4 percent today, while women were paid less than men across all workplaces.

Accounting for the largest portion of all jobless women are those with secondary education in the fields of law, economy, trade, and hospitality, and also women above the age 50 who have been recently left jobless, according to Janjic. On the other hand, she added, younger women had been facing different problems such as balancing between their family and business life.

Janjic also stressed the shortage of doctors providing health services to women. According to 20222 data, she said, there were 509 doctors, or one gynecologist per 5,812 women, adding that there were places in Serbia with no gynecologist to take care of women’s reproductive health.