Call for papers

 Gender Inequalities in the Labor Market

 Yerevan State University Center for Gender and Leadership Studies (CGLS) is organizing its first international conference on Gender Inequalities in the Labor Market: Challenges and Solutions in Local and Global Contexts.
Gender inequalities in the labor market and resulting women’s poverty are worldwide problems. Women’s earnings remain about two-thirds those of men and “feminization of poverty” is a common social and economic problem, especially in developing countries and in rural areas. According to UN, the number of rural women globally living in absolute poverty rose by 50% during the past 20 years. At the same time, women’s work nearly everywhere in the world is often unrecognized and undervalued. Consequently, as UN Women Watch notes, “women earn on average slightly more that 50% of what men earn. Their health care and nutritional needs are not given priority.They lack sufficient access to education and support services, and their participation in decision-making at home and in the community are minimal”. The contribution of women within households remains devalued because women’s domestic labor is not recognized in the same way as paid labor. However, if such unpaid labor were included in statistics measuring economic output, the world economy would increase by about 11 trillion USD. Although gender inequalities in the labor market and its consequences for women (lack of adequate social security and other benefits, domestic violence, trafficking, health problems, etc.) are worldwide problems, policies and practices for women’s advancement in the labor marker remain insufficient and ineffective. Neo-liberal reforms that aim to develop policies for ensuring gender equity in all spheres fail to empower women and instead often directly or indirectly contribute to gender polarization.

 
Gender segration of labor market is one of the main problems in Armenia. In 2011, 51% of men and 49% of women were economically active in the labour market. Women are under-represented in almost all branches of the economy with the exception of education (82%) and the health and social work sector (82%). Average monthly net income distributed by sex in 2011: for men it was 185 EUR (93 936 AMD) and for women it was 115 EUR (59 061AMD).

 
The highest unemployment rate is among women at the age 35-39 (22.7) and for men at the age 35-39 (16.1). The reasons for unemployment are quite different for men and women. More women than men lost their jobs in 2011 because of job reduction (66% women and 44% men accordingly) and family circumstances (12% women and only 1% men), while more men than women became unemployed due to the completion of temporary or seasonal work (32% men and 8% women).

The upcoming conference will focus on the causes and manifestations of gender inequalities in the labor market in Armenia and globally.
The conference will take place at Yerevan State University (A. Manoukyan str.1, Palyan conference hall) on October 7th, 2013.
Among the topics that will be addressed at the conference are:
• Women and men in the labor force
• Gender segregation and barriers in the labor market
• Gender pay gaps
• Women’s unpaid work
• Feminization of poverty
• Gender dimensions of unemployment and underemployment
• Migration and changes of gender roles in the labor market
• Balancing work and home duties
• Policies and practices to address gender inequalities in the labor market

Submission of abstracts: Please send an abstract of up to 500 words describing the theoretical background, methodology, and main results of your paper in Armenian or English and your short bio or CV by August 1st, 2013 to the following email: genderlead@yahoo.com

Please, put Conference Abstract in the subject of your e-mail.
The full texts of papers presented at the conference will be published by CGLS.
For additional information, please contact YSU Center for Gender and Leadership Studies office: Address: A. Manoukyan str.1, room#436, Tel: (37410) 57 06 73, E-mail: genderlead@yahoo.com

YSU Center for Gender and Leadership Studies