Women with basic vocational education experience the highest pay gap in relative terms in Poland and their situation is hardly improving. Women find themselves predominantly in feminized segments of the labour market and are clearly in a minority in ‘masculine’ occupations.
It is a common occurrence that employers, led by gender stereotypes do not want to employ women in certain occupations. Gender stereotypes are very powerful not only in the case of employers, but also teachers, career advisers, family members etc. What is more important, gender stereotypes affect the girls themselves in a way that they do not choose ‘masculine programmes’ because they are worried about loosing their feminity or “what people will say” or because they are convinced they do not have the technical skills boys do.
The report recommend to create several social campaigns aimed at breaking the stereotypes concerning ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ occupations and actively encourage girls to pursue professions currently dominated by men as well as encouraging them to choose new and ‘untraditional’ professions (including those related to new technologies).
And as the consequences of not having a permanent job contract are far more disadvantageous for women than for men (e.g. during pregnancy and after childbirth the women are left with no means of subsistence) it is necessary to offer maternity benefits to all pregnant women as well as all mothers irrespectively of whether they are employed or not or the type of their employment contract.
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