Parental responsibilities and discrimination in the labor market
Parental responsibilities and discrimination in the labor market in Moscow Dr. Irina Kalabikhina Lomonosov Moscow State University Russia
History and Context Emancipation of Women in Russia • Legislation (All main international items) • Experience (Long Time – XX century, the main points – Education, Labor Market, Social Child Care, Social Security for Women with Children)
EDUCATION
EMPLOYMENT
CHILD CARE AND SOCIAL SERVIC
MEN’S PARTICIPATION?
History and Context Emancipation of Women in Russia • New Economic and Social Realities (end of XX century) WHAT IS REAL PRACTICE TODAY?
Motivation • Quantitative study (Moscow, 2012, Ombudsman Office) – Only 72, 5% pregnant women used maternity leave (full payment) and kept a workplace – The girls were asked on marital status, children, and reproductive plans by 4 times more often – Every sixth girl should not have a choice about her reproductive plans • Meeting of women in St. Petersburg, 2012 • Researches (Ayvazova, 2012, Roschin, 2005, etc. )
Research Questions • What are typical patterns of labor discrimination against people with parental responsibilities? • Do the possibilities of professional and parental responsibilities combination exist (formal institutes)? • What is about gender stereotypes (informal institutes)?
Data and Methods • Qualitative study • 2013, Moscow • 56 semi-structured interviews • 40 W+16 M, 21 -58 years old • 4/5 higher education, ½ with spouse, ½+ with child/children • Finance, health, education, and IT technology sectors. Public and government ones. 5 senior manager
Results 1/3 a: typical patterns of labor discrimination • 26 cases of discrimination on the LM • 21 gendered cases – 1) direct discrimination against women with parental responsibilities, – 2) statistical discrimination against women (women as inefficient workers), – 3) discrimination against men in the situation of reconciling of professional and family responsibilities
Statistical discrimination • "The girl in fertile age will say, "well, I better go get married, have a baby! What you want, and do“ (f, 48, 35) • “It will pay attention because employer will invest some funds in this employee and he needs the result. And the girl…. this is such an instance that she can turn tail" (f, 29) • “they said that they need a man" (f, 51) • "they can get pregnant or start a family" (m, 35)
Statistical discrimination • "Someone writes that women with children up to 5 -7 years are not considered, someone immediately asks: "what if the child is ill? "" (m, 30) • "If I want to get the place into the company, I must say: “I want to work, the next 3 years no need to get married, children are not going to give birth, and you get a great professional with great dedication and desire to work”" (f, 35)
Results 1/3 b: typical patterns of labor discrimination (maternity leave) BEFORE MATERNITY LEAVE • request to resign by herself • the payment of "maternity" money on the white part of the salary • the request to early return to work (law: 3 years) AFTER MATERNITY LEAVE • the creation of conditions for the extrusion of woman (payment is less, no career, rigid formalism, psychological pressure) • restructuring of the company
Direct discrimination • "When I left on maternity leave, I wanted to pay . . . only in the framework of the official salary, not in the context of all of the money" (f, 41) • "they need to optimize the number of Department and chose a pregnant woman. . . , professionally she seemed quite effective, but she was to be reduced" (m, 30) • "despite the fact that a woman on maternity leave can't be dismissed, you can find a way" (f, 35)
Direct discrimination • “After the release of the leave, she is not considered as a full member“ (f, 28) • “The company structure has changed. . . They left her in the old structure, and she was forced to resign" (f, 28) • “Do you promise not to leave on maternity leave in the next six months? " (W, 43)
Results 2/3: professional and parental responsibilities combination Conditions for combining professional level and parental responsibilities has not yet been established fully: employers perceive workers with family responsibilities as a burden men do not share women's family responsibilities infrastructure of childcare needs to be improved
Last Changes Anti-discrimination improving legislation 2013 -2014 • Hiring Announcement Law – Discriminative Ann's from 20 -40% to 9 -3% • More protection of pregnant women (if employer do not know about pregnancy) • Direct payment (Social Insurance Fund) after bankruptcy recognition by the court Path of slow improvement, no complex approach
Results 3/3: gender stereotypes • “Breadwinner” and “homemaker” • “Female” and “male” occupations • You should have children, but no small children ("having children makes people more responsible“) Conflict: stereotypes and the personal attitudes in specific cases Understanding of discrimination
The most popular stereotypes • "women's jobs are related to its natural purpose" • "home-work is for women” • "the man should work and not stay home with the children“ • "men aspire to be chiefs“ BUT • "women are the best workers”
“female” and “male” jobs Women about women: "routine, monotony, requiring perseverance and accuracy”, “advisor, cashier, clerk, manager in store“, "pedagogy and pediatrics", "psychology", “secretary", "accountant", "nurse", "dentist", "physician", “barber", "lawyer”, "journalist“ Men about women: “motherhood", "financial occupations", "working in health care and culture", "HR", "kindergarten teacher", "social worker", "telephone operator", “secretary“
“female” and “male” jobs Women about men: “creativity, responsibility, decision-making, engineering, physics, mathematics, miner, musician, poet, designer, artist", "businessman", "loader, driver, worker", "physician", "surgeon", "CFO, analyst” Men about men: “heavy physical labor", "defender", "the Creator”
“No discrimination” • "I believe that this is a normal question, especially because the girl is planning for his family, possible maternity leave. And for the employer it is a problem. . So such things are significant. I think they should ask" (f, 52) • "Well, breaking. . . But that's life" (f, 42)
Policy implementation. Federal level • Legislation: Direct payment without court, Definition of discrimination, Distance and part -time laws development, Labor discrimination from the criminal to the administrative code • Standards and revaluation: Revaluation of “women” job places, Standards of job functions • Gender in all type of policies and programs • Combating with gender stereotypes
Policy implementation. City level • Collective agreements (firms and city) about creating a friendly environment against workers with family responsibilities • Expanding of the care services with emphasis on unmet demand for services for toddlers • Life-work balance for men (untransmitted paternity leave to care for a child, etc. )
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