Within this project, the reasons for the low participation of women in the labor market are considered through a comprehensive study on this topic. The starting point for this study were the high economic inactivity rates among women in Macedonia, which reveal that women are placed at a serious disadvantage on the labor market compared to men. The study challenges the officially accepted causes of female economic inactivity and unemployment, providing evidence that neither low education nor adherence to traditional norms and expectations are main contributors for women’s disadvantaged position on the labor market.
The goal of this study was to contribute towards a change in the discourse dominating public policies that aim to increase female employment in Macedonia.