WOMEN'S STUDY THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA 2020/2021 - SCIENCE STUDY - DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS - Bibliothek der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
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SCIENCE STUDY DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS WOMEN’S STUDY THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA 2020/2021 Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj Mirjana Borota Popovska Ana Chupeska Nita Starova Dragan Gjorgjev December, 2020
DEM O CR AC Y A ND H U M A N RIGH T S WOMEN’S STUDY THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA 2020/2021 Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj Mirjana Borota Popovska Ana Chupeska Nita Starova Dragan Gjorgjev
Published by:
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Office Skopje
bul. 8 September 2/2-5 1000
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
Phone.: +389 2 3093-181
www.fes-skopje.org
contact@fes-skopje.org
Research conducted by:
Growth and Development - Skopje
Authors:
Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj
Mirjana Borota Popovska
Ana Chupeska
Nita Starova
Dragan Gjorgjev
Translation into English:
Blerina Starova Zlatku
Proofreading:
Vanessa Robinson - Conlon
Consultants:
Stella Network
Dijana Stojanovikj Djordjevikj, The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
Tanja Tomikj, ednakvi.mk
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Commercial use of all media published 316.346.2-055.2:316.662(497.7)(043.7)
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is not permitted without the
written consent of the FES. СТУДИЈА за жените во Република Северна Македонија :
2020 / автори Марија Топузовска Латковиќ ... и др. - Скопје
: Фондација Фридрих Еберт, Подружница во Република
Design:
Македонија, 2020. - 160 стр. : граф. прикази ; 30 см
Фусноти кон текстот. - Останати автори: Мирјана Борота
Поповска, Ана Чупеска, Драган Ѓорѓев, Нита Старова. -
Библиографија: стр. 150-153
ISBN 978-9989-109-99-7
1. Топузовска Латковиќ, Марија [автор] 2. Борота Поповска,
Мирјана [автор] 3. Чупеска, Ана [автор] 4. Ѓорѓев, Драган
[автор] 5. Старова, Нита [автор]
а) Жени -- Општествен статус -- Македонија -- Истражувања
б) Родова еднаквост -- Жени -- Македонија в) Жени --
Социолошки истражувања -- Македонија
COBISS.MK-ID 52806661CONTENTS 1. FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................................7 2. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH...................................................................................................9 2.1 Research techniques................................................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Research sample design and data collection.................................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Data analysis............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 2.4 Research sample..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 3. VALUES, RELIGION, AND TRUST................................................................................................. 13 3.1 Attitudes towards gender-based equality, stereotypes, social roles, and values............................................. 13 3.2 Satisfaction/dissatisfaction among women................................................................................................................. 18 3.3 Trust............................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 3.4 Importance and practice of religion................................................................................................................................ 19 3.5 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................................................20 3.6 Recommendations.................................................................................................................................................................20 4. FAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE............................................................................................................... 23 4.1 National context.....................................................................................................................................................................23 4.2 Women's leisure time activities.........................................................................................................................................23 4.3 Household organization and general equality of roles............................................................................................26 4.4 Finding a partner for an intimate relationship/marriage.........................................................................................32 4.5 The situation of women during COVID-19....................................................................................................................32 4.6 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................................................35 4.7 Recommendations.................................................................................................................................................................36 5. EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT.............................................................................................. 39 5.1 Attitudes towards the working environment...............................................................................................................39 5.2 Discrimination at the workplace.......................................................................................................................................40 5.3 Advancing to managerial positions.................................................................................................................................42 5.4 Women and personal attitude towards career...........................................................................................................44 5.5 Unemployed and looking for work..................................................................................................................................45 5.6 Self-employment....................................................................................................................................................................49 5.7 Situation in education........................................................................................................................................................... 51 5.8 Attitudes towards education............................................................................................................................................. 51
5.9 What does the education system teach about the role of women?....................................................................54
5.10 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................................................58
5.11 Recommendations.................................................................................................................................................................59
6. POLITICS AND PARTICIPATION................................................................................................... 63
6.1 Perceptions about the current status of women's equality.....................................................................................63
6.2 Interest in politics and political participation...............................................................................................................66
6.3 Democracy, ideology, and values......................................................................................................................................72
6.4 Future expectations............................................................................................................................................................... 74
6.5 Conclusions............................................................................................................................................................................... 74
6.6 Recommendations.................................................................................................................................................................75
7. SAFETY AND SECURITY.................................................................................................................... 77
7.1 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................................................81
7.2 Recommendations.................................................................................................................................................................81
8. WOMEN'S HEALTH............................................................................................................................... 83
8.1 Satisfaction with health services.......................................................................................................................................85
8.2 Physical Safety and Security................................................................................................................................................87
8.3 Addictions and lifestyles......................................................................................................................................................87
8.4 Living conditions, environmental factors, and well-being.......................................................................................89
8.5 COVID-19 and women..........................................................................................................................................................90
8.6 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................................................90
8.7 Recommendations.................................................................................................................................................................91
BIBLIOGRAPHY...........................................................................................................................................................927 1 FOREWORD Gender equality is, undoubtedly, an essential factor in the perform most of the household chores and consider development of a society. It improves productivity and such division fair and just. The financial status of wom- economic growth, enhances the well-being of all societal en is linked to their position in the home, and a wom- groups and thus improves the development of a society an´s equality is linked to her husband/partner. and future generations, as well as the efficiency of insti- The research revealed that the unfavourable position, tutions. In short, the more equal the conditions for the compared to men, as well as the gender-based discrimi- different genders are, the better the country is off. nation on the labour market are not recognized by wom- For these reasons, in 2020 the Friedrich Ebert Founda- en. Most women earn less than their partners and the tion in North Macedonia decided to develop and con- men in the same positions. Often the professional com- duct a women’s study, in order to measure, describe and petence of women is measured lower merely because of explain the status of the female population vis-a-vis so- their gender, not their performance. As a result, women ciety, family, values, education, employment, politics, are often less supported by managers unlike their male security and healthcare. colleagues discharging the same duties, which mani- The study was developed based on our experiences of fests and perpetuates the “glass ceiling” phenomenon, conducting comprehensive youth studies which in 2014 discouraging women to assert themselves. and 2019, that were well-received in the country and Although women largely exercise their right to vote, across the region and served as the basis for drafting their political participation is at a low level and they are and developing policies and projects in the past years. generally disinterested, not informed and not familiar The data obtained in the research cannot not be pre- with politics and “women’s issues and equality”. sented in its entirety in this publication but will be The study targets a series of challenges that all stake- available upon demand. However, this study, provides holders need to confront, in order to improve the in- a comprehensive overview and analysis of the most rel- dividual and societal well-being: policymakers, decision evant data. The women’s study is an interdisciplinary makers, as well as all citizens, men and women, in our study with the primary objective to lay the foundations society. of further interpretation and analysis. We also sincerely Lastly, our gratitude goes to the research team that, hope that in the coming years, data obtained from the even under the conditions of a pandemic, carried out research will be used for policy development and dif- the research professionally, diligently and in great de- ferent purposes benefiting the enhancement of gender tail. The team successfully faced the challenge of con- equality in Macedonian society, as well as for scientific ducting a field research of a nationally representative use and drafting projects. sample of 1066 respondents during the pandemic, with According to existing research, women in the Republic a large questionnaire, which required time, much focus of North Macedonia (at the cognitive level) do aspire and perseverance from the respondents. towards gender equality. It is notable that all of them Friedrich Ebert Foundation will promote the results of perceive the Macedonian society as patriarchal, where this study also in further activities and looks to conduct tradition is an important and commonly accepted value, similar studies across the region of Southeast Europe. but every woman (regardless of her demographic back- This pilot project from FES Skopje provides crucial best ground) is trying in her own ways to fight for her rights practices. and equality in her (newly established) family and the surrounding. Nita Starova, Program Coordinator of Friedrich-Ebert Unfortunately, our results once again confirm that -Stiftung Skopje & member of the research team women largely accept the patriarchal gender division of roles in Macedonian society. They predominantly Eva Ellereit, Resident Representative of Friedrich chose to spend most of their free time with the family, -Ebert-Stiftung Skopje
9
2
METHODOLOGICAL
APPROACH
2.1. RESEARCH TECHNIQUES 2.2. RESEARCH SAMPLE DESIGN AND DATA
COLLECTION
This study combines quantitative and qualitative re-
search methods and techniques, along with primary and The CAPI survey research uses a stratified-quota sample
secondary data analysis. designed based on officially published data on popula-
More specifically, the following research techniques tion estimates1 from the website of the State Statistical
were used for data collection: Office of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The target population encompasses women aged 18 to
– Literature review; 67, who live in the Republic of North Macedonia. The
study first segmented/stratified the female population
– Documentation analysis;
into mutually exclusive subgroups (strata) according to
– Face-to-face CAPI survey, using a nationally representa- the statistical region (of which there are eight in the
tive sample; country), municipality, and age group. The sample de-
sign determined the selection of cases in each segment/
– Semi structured e-interviews.
stratum based on a specific ratio of quotas according to
ethnicity and place of residence (urban/rural). The cal-
The CAPI (Computer-assisted personal interview) survey
culation resulted in a sample size with a marginal error
- questionnaire is composed of the following thematic
of 3% and a confidence level of 95%. The size of the re-
sections:
search target population is 710 2872 , hence the size of
the projected research sample is N = 1066.
– DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
From this sample, a total of N = 1064 respondents validly
– VALUES, TRUST, AND RELIGION completed the CAPI field research survey questionnaire
– FAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE from October 19 to November 10, 2020. The question-
naire was administered in two languages (Macedonian
– EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT and Albanian), using an offline Android application.
– POLITICS AND PARTICIPATION A team of 18 interviewers conducted the CAPI survey
face-to-face, with the assistance of mobile devices (tab-
– SAFETY AND SECURITY lets), throughout the entire territory of the Republic of
– WOMEN’S HEALTH North Macedonia. The average time taken to complete
each survey was 35 minutes.
The semi-structured interviews consist of 10 open-end- For the semi-structured e-interviews, the sample con-
ed questions (with sub-questions) that align with the sists of 12 female respondents, selected based on the
thematic sections in the CAPI survey questionnaire, in- principle of maximum variation, meaning the sample is
cluding a section on demographic data.
1 Since 2002, no census has been conducted in the country.
2 MAKstat data, State Statistical Office, 202010 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
heterogeneous according to demographic characteris- Legend:
tics (e.g., age, ethnicity, level of education, place of resi-
dence, employment, and relationship status). Interview- – N = number (of respondents, frequency)
ers successfully conducted twelve in-depth semi-struc-
– p value = probability value
tured interviews online, coinciding with the timing of
the CAPI survey. – p 0.05 = no statistically significant difference/associa-
– Exploratory;
tion/correlation (95% confidence level), findings cannot
– Descriptive; be generalized for the whole research target population
– Comparative; – m = arithmetic mean (mean value, sum of all data ob-
tained divided by the number of elements in the distribu-
– Explanatory.
tion)
Quantitative data obtained from the CAPI survey were – x2 = chi-square (test for whether any observed frequency,
analyzed at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels, during cross-tabulation, deviates from the expected fre-
using appropriate statistical (descriptive and inferential) quency, proves a statistically significant association)
procedures in SPSS, visually presented as images, tables,
– r = Pearson coefficient of bivariate correlation (two-way
diagrams, and graphs, and narratively interpreted.
relationship between the variables)
Qualitative data collected from the semi-structured in-
terviews were anonymized, narratively analyzed, and
presented in the form of anecdotes and quotations.
2.4. RESEARCH SAMPLE
Region (%) Age group (%)
Northeast 8,1
60+ 16,1
Pelagonija 9,5
Polog 16,6 50-59 19,1
Skopje 30,3
40-49 19,6
Southwest 11,8
East 8 30-39 22,2
Southeast 8,4
18-29 23
Vardar 7,3
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH 11
Ethnicity (%) Level of (completed) education (%)
Other 0,6 Higher education
postgraduate studies 5,7
Bosniak 0,9 (incl. doctoral)
Higher education
Vlach 0,9 34,5
bachelor studies
Turk 2,2
Secondary education 40,6
Serbian 1,4
Roma 2,9 Primary education 15,5
Albanian 26,9 None / incomplete
primary education 2,7
Macedonian 64,2
0 10 20 30 40 50
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Employment status (%)
Freelancer worker (short contracts) 2,5
Housewife (unemployed,
not job searching) 13,2
Unable work (due to illness, disability) 1,3
Retired 8,3
Student 8
Unemployed (actively job searching) 10,7
Self-employed in agriculture (farming) 2,1
Self-employed (own business) 6,2
Employed 47,7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Place of residence Religious beliefs
Rural
39%
Urban
61%
Ortodox 61% Protestant 1%
Muslim 33% Non-believer/atheist 5%12 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
Relationship status
Married 63%
Single 16%
Widowed 5%
Divorced 6%
In a relationship 8%
In a relationship, living together 2%
Has children? If yes, how many children? (%)
53
Yes 68%
No 32% 21,7
19,1
4,4 1,7 0,1
1 2 3 4 5 613
3
VALUES, RELIGION,
AND TRUST
3.1. ATTITUDES TOWARDS GENDER-BASED of North Macedonia, giving household responsibilities
EQUALITY, STEREOTYPES, SOCIAL ROLES, primarily to women. A 2019 USAID Gender Analysis of
AND VALUES the Republic of North Macedonia found little difference
in cultural norms and beliefs by region, as opposed to by
Gender stereotypes are predetermined sociocultural ethnicity and/or place of residence (urban/rural). About
models and ideas that define and restrict the charac- one-third of women in the country believe that their
teristics and roles given to men and women according primary roles include giving birth and caring for the
to their gender. They encourage discrimination based home and family, not working in the formal labor mar-
on gender and are serious obstacles to achieving true ket. The study also saw traditional cultural norms and
gender equality. Such stereotypes can limit the devel- beliefs more strongly embedded in the Roma and Alba-
opment of the natural talents and abilities of girls, boys, nian populations, among economically inactive women,
women, and men, their educational and professional and rural areas (USAID, 2019).
preferences and experiences, and their life opportuni- The central themes of the Women’s Study 2020 build
ties in general. Gender stereotypes are both the result upon these secondary findings.
and cause of deeply ingrained attitudes, values, norms, The study collected data about the importance of cer-
and prejudices (Council of Europe, 2018). tain life values to the target population, using a scale
Traits that are stereotypically seen as “masculine” in- of importance from 1 (not important at all) to 5 (very
clude competitiveness, courage, vigor, aggressiveness, important). According to the analysis, women place
and activity, while traits such as cooperativeness, timidi- the most importance on owning a home/property (m =
ty, indulgence, passivity, and tenderness are considered 4.53), having a family/children (m = 4.52), living in a safe
“feminine” (Koenig, 2011). and economically promising country (m = 4.5), being in-
The case-law of the European Court of Human Rights dependent (m = 4.43), having a secure job (m = 4.32),
highlights two types of gender stereotypes as particu- spending time with friends (m = 4.17), being educated
larly worrying in relevant discrimination cases (Poposka, (m = 4.06), and looking good (m = 4.04). Still important,
2015). The first type stems from a belief in the superi- but less so (with mean values between 3 and 4), is to
ority of men and the inferiority of women, which can enjoy life and have fun (m = 3.98), to have a successful
lead, in turn, to the widespread practice of coercion and career (m = 3.92), to have wealth (m = 3.85), to respect
violence to control women, especially in the form of do- tradition (m = 3.8), and to live a religious life (m = 3.54).
mestic violence. The second type refers to certain socio- Least important or irrelevant (with mean values below
cultural roles given to each gender, such as the mother 3, and sitting in the negative interval of the axis) is civic
as the caregiver for the children and elderly members of activism (m = 2.35) and political engagement (2.04).
the family, and the father as the working member and According to research by Schwartz and Rubel (2005),
financial provider of the family. Such stereotyping also men cherish values related to power, stimulation, he-
leaves many of those who do not fully embody the ste- donism, achievement, and self-direction, while wom-
reotypical gender roles without social support. The pa- en cherish values related to benevolence, universalism,
triarchal matrix and traditional values underpin social security, and tradition. The data largely builds on this
norms and the division of gender roles in the Republic division.14 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
How important are the following values in life?
Scale: 1 = not important at all, 5 = very important
Safe and thriving economy/state 4,5
Money/wealth 3,85
Secure career/job 4,32
Good looks/appearance 4,04
Good education 4,06
Independence 4,43
Home/property ownership 4,53
Successful career 3,92
Family (of my own)/children 4,52
Civic activism/participation 2,35
Political participation 2,04
Fun and enjoyment in life 3,98
Time with friends 4,17
Traditional family structure 3,8
Religion/religiosity 3,54
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5
Further analysis using non-parametric tests confirmed – Women of Albanian ethnicity indicated it was most im-
statistically significant differences (pVALUES, RELIGION, AND TRUST 15
Values in life: by ethnicity
2,24
Civic activism/participation 2,68
2,08
3,7
Traditional family stucture 3,97
4,04
3,35
Religion/religiosity 3,94
3,66
1,89
Political participation 2,4
1,96
4,45
Secure career/job 4,01
4,32
4,2
Good education 3,74
4,09 Macedonian
4,56 Albanian
Independence 4,12
4,43 Other
4,65
Home/property ownership 4,24
4,57
4,05
Successful career 3,66
3,81
4,63
Family (of my own)/children 4,25
4,59
4,08
Fun and enjoyment in life 3,72
3,99
4,24
Time with friends 3,96
4,22
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5
The bivariate correlation analysis of data on life values – Successful career as a value is inversely proportional to
showed a statistically significant (although not very aging (r = -.277, p16 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
ly agree), indicates that women in the Republic of North – “For many high-level jobs, it is better to choose a man
Macedonia, at least at a cognitive level, demonstrate over a woman” (m = 2.44);
support for gender equality. The resulting mean values
– “Women should work only if necessary” (m = 2.25);
are in the negative axis interval and indicate disagree-
ment with the statements, “gender equality threatens – “Mothers should make most decisions about how chil-
the traditional family structure” (m = 1.82) and “gender dren are raised” (m = 2.83);
equality can never be achieved because women and
– “A father’s major responsibility is to provide financially for
men are so different” (m = 1.78). For the statement,
his children” (m = 2.86).
“gender equality has already been achieved to a satis-
factory level in this country”, analysis shows a positive
response (m = 2.51), meaning that women are some- Statements/views about social gender roles:
what satisfied that gender equality has been achieved
in Macedonian society. For many high-level
jobs, it is better to
It remains unclear (as a research limitation of this study) choose a man over 2,44
how women understand the concept of gender equality. a women
National documentation, such as the Strategy for Gender Women should
Equality 2013-2020, states, “gender equality means fair- work only if 2,25
ness in dealing with men and women per their personal necessary
needs, and fairness, especially in terms of rights, bene-
Mothers should make
fits, obligations, and opportunities. Gender equality is the decisions about 2,83
influenced by the promotion of personal, social, cultural, how children are raised
political, and economic equality for all. Gender equality
Some types of jobs
means that different behaviors, aspirations, and needs of
are not appropri- 3,3
women and men are respected, taken into account, val- ate for women
ued, and equally supported. This means that their rights,
A father’s major
responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on responsibility is to
2,86
whether they were born a man or a woman. It is based provide financially
on the principles of human rights and social justice” (Gov- for his children
We should not think
ernment of the Republic of North Macedonia, 2013). in terms of male vs.
4,21
female, but focus on
other traits
Agreement with attitudes about gender equality:
Household tasks
should not be 3,57
Scale: 1 = completely disagree, 4 = completely agree assigned by sex
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5
Gender equality threatens
the traditional family structure 1,82
The bivariate analysis by age confirmed a statistically
significant (although weak in intensity) correlation with
Gender equality can never the following statements:
be achieved because women 1,78
and men are so different
– “A father’s major responsibility is to provide financially for
his children” grows in proportion to age (r = .090, pVALUES, RELIGION, AND TRUST 17
Attitudes to social gender roles: by ethnicity
2,24
For many high-level jobs, it is better
to choose a man over a women 2,93
2,37
2,03
Women should work only if necessary 2,78
2,24
2,55 Macedonian
Mothers should make the decisions
about how children are raised 3,5 Albanian
2,84
Other
4,39
We should not think in terms of male
vs. female, but focus on other traits 3,78
4,26
2,56
A father’s major responsibility is to provide
financially for his children 3,57
2,94
1 2 3 4 5
According to the analysis of the non-parametric tests, house should not be assigned by sex”. This shows that
statistically significant differences (p18 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
5 children (4 daughters and 1 son), did not differentiate based on sex; each of us is educated and has a Mas-
ter’s degree.” (RC, 35, village of Cegrane/Gostivar, Albanian)
“Luckily, I am surrounded by people who do not divide between typically male and typically female [roles]
(…) I live in line with my beliefs, which do not imply a division of traditional gender roles.” (GT, 44, Ohrid,
Macedonian)
“In our tradition, there is a division of male and female roles, but in the past 10 years, with the increase in
the level of education of the young Roma population, these barriers are being removed slowly (…) there is
some visible progress in this field.” (TV, 26, Skopje, Roma)
“As much as that division bothers me, I realized that I must find my place and at least personally reduce its
impact on my life. Maybe that is why my children have not developed such stereotypes, although that in
itself may sometimes be a barrier [for them] in this environment. It is difficult to change the mind-set of a
community, and it can still affect your life.” (LO, 56, Skopje, Serbian)
“Our society is still stuck in a traditional style of upbringing. We raise men to hand over most of the respon-
sibilities to their wife, and therefore, after working hours she must be at home and fully dedicated to her
family.” (MI, 36, Skopje, Albanian)
“Unfortunately, tradition is still present in our town and affects many things, but one thing makes me happy
- the younger generations are managing to uproot it.” (IJ, 53, Delchevo, Macedonian)
“In my family, we have overcome the traditional division of gender roles and we function equally. But in my
workplace and social life, as a woman, I come across this division, especially by men, and it is most visible
when expressing views, giving opinions, and suggestions. Particularly when we are talking about topics that
affect the male majority population, my ‘female’ perspective is dismissed simply because it comes from a
woman. [These talks] deteriorate into denial, ignoring, or completely rejecting what I say.” (AT, 45, Kavadar-
ci, Macedonian)
“The traditional division of gender roles directly contradicts my feminist beliefs and practices. We are wit-
nessing misogyny, patriarchy, and sexism being too prevalent in our society and unfortunately, our children
[are exposed] at all levels of formal education, starting from kindergarten. Traditional gender roles are pro-
moted as ‘model examples’ in all textbooks and most children’s television shows, leaving a feeling of unease
and non-belonging to all those children who do not come from so-called traditional families (...) My family
members are being brought up in the spirit of gender equality, respect for diversity, and advocacy for full
equality among people.” (DV, 37, Skopje, Serbian)
3.2. SATISFACTION/DISSATISFACTION
AMONG WOMEN How satisfied are you with the following aspects
of your life? (not considering COVID-19)
The analysis of respondents’ satisfaction with various
Scale: 1 = very dissatisfied, 5 = very satisfied
aspects of life (ignoring the effects of COVID-19 for
now) indicates that women feel most satisfied with
Life in general 3,75
their family life (m = 4.33). Following closely (with mean
values between 3 and 4) is satisfaction with their love State of the country 2,89
life (m = 3.88), social life (m = 3.76), life in general (m =
3.75), work (m = 3.35), and finances (m = 3.26). Macedo- Financial situation 3,26
nian women living in urban areas appear to have higher
rates of satisfaction with their finances and working life Working life/Career 3,35
(pVALUES, RELIGION, AND TRUST 19
3.3. TRUST 3.4. IMPORTANCE AND PRACTICE OF
RELIGION
Similar to results seen so far that show women prior-
itizing and indicating the highest satisfaction with The largest proportion (39%) of women celebrate reli-
family, women also expressed the greatest trust in the gious ceremonies and rituals (not including weddings
immediate family (m = 4.75), on a scale from 1 (do not or funerals) only on religious holidays, while the rest
trust at all) to 5 (completely trust). Next in line were practice either once per month (18%), once a year (10%),
their extended family members (m = 3.77) and friends once per week (8%) or more than once a week (4%), less
(m = 3.52). than once per year (7%), or seldom (14%).
Women indicated low levels of trust for the remaining
parties, such as people of other faiths (m = 2.65), religious
leaders (m = 2.55), NGOs (m = 2.54), international organi- How often do you partake in religious ceremonies
or rituals? (excl. weddings and funerals)
zations (m = 2.44), media (m = 2, 37), state administrative
bodies and institutions (m = 2.33), and people with po-
litical beliefs different from their own (m = 2.3). Lowest
levels of trust were seen in relation to political parties (m
= 1, 84) and political leaders (m = 1.81).
Rate your level of trust in the following parties:
International organizations 2,44
Political parties 1,84
Only for certain More than
religious holidays 39% once per week 4%
Media Approximately Appoximately
2,37
once a year 10% once per week 8%
Less than once a year 7% Approximately
Non-government Almost never 14% once a month 18%
organisations (NGOs) 2,54
State administration
Despite the results above hinting at moderate religiosi-
and institutions 2,33 ty, respondents still express a strong desire to fulfill the
duties/requirements expected of women by their reli-
People with other gion (m = 3.47). At the same time, most do not feel they
2,65
religious beliefs have suffered a great deal of religious-based discrimina-
tion in Macedonian society (m = 1.72). Results are mea-
People with other sured on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (completely).
political orientations 2,3
Religious leaders 2,55 Rate your acceptance of duties/requirements of women
vs. experience of discrimination due to religion:
Political leaders 1,81
Do you feel discriminated
in the Macedonian society
1,72
Friends 3,52 because of your religious
beliefs?
Extended family 3,77
As a woman, to what extent
do you accept and strive to
fulfill the requests / 3,47
expectations from
Immediate/nuclear family 4,75 your religion?
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 420 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021 Correlation analysis shows that the rate of accepting slightly positive mean value, ‘neither agree nor disagree’ female-specific religious duties/requirements increases was the response to “some jobs are not appropriate for proportionally to age (r = .071, p
VALUES, RELIGION, AND TRUST 21
– Revise the curricula for primary and secondary education – The Agency for Youth and Sports to offer special funding
by removing gender stereotypes and prejudices, and in- for youth projects that promote gender equality; priori-
troducing content that will promote gender equality; tize gender equality when cooperating with youth orga-
nizations;
– The media to promote gender equality, and commit to
exposing examples of stereotypes about women and – International and donor organizations to allocate more
gender roles to the public; funds for projects, campaigns, and activities that pro-
mote gender equality and that support the work of wom-
– The Ministry of Culture to provide special funding to sup-
en’s organizations.
port cultural projects and programs that promote gender
equality; include the gender aspect in award and grant
criteria for other cultural projects and activities;23
4
FAMILY AND
SOCIAL LIFE
4.1. NATIONAL CONTEXT therefore, often the only option available to them is to
visit one another to socialize at home (Helsinki Committee
The average age of women when entering into their for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia, 2018).
first marriage in the Republic of North Macedonia is The analysis of data collected on family and social life
26.6 years, in comparison to 29.3 for men, (Republic of in the Women’s Study 2020 yielded both promising and
North Macedonia Statistical Office, 2019). The most vul- concerning results, as seen below.
nerable to entering into early marriages are Roma girls,
12% of whom marry before the age of 15 (USAID, 2019). 4.2. WOMEN’S LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES
According to a 2012 Reactor-Research in Action study, “if
we look at the tradition as a traditional division of gen-
Respondents usually spend time with family (m = 4.24),
der roles, the most common type of household in [North]
which is not surprising considering the results seen in
Macedonia is the one in which the husband works and the
the analysis so far. Next favourite choices include watch-
wife does not.” The same study (using a nationally repre-
ing movies and series on TV or online (m = 3.82), using
sentative sample) found that 40.1 percent of the country’s
social media such as Viber, Facebook, Instagram etc. (m
population lived in “traditional” households, 32.4 percent
= 3.58), spending time with friends (m = 3.57), listening
in households where both spouses were unemployed, and to music (m = 3.44), relaxing (m = 3.28), and browsing
27.5 percent in households where both spouses worked. Re- the internet (m = 3.27).
gardless of the employment situation, and even if they are Women indicated they were less in favor (mean values
the only employed member of the household, women still less than 3) of using their free time to gain knowledge
have a considerably higher share of the household respon- or skills, volunteer, be creative, do sport, or see cultural/
sibilities and chores. Furthermore, just under half of the entertainment sites/events.
participants agreed that “if there are children in the family The bivariate correlation analysis, against age as an in-
or elderly people who need care, it is not profitable for the dependent variable, shows the following activities are
mother to work” (Reactor-Research in Action, Skopje, 2012). inversely proportional to age (i.e., become less popular
Ivanovska and Dimitrovska (2015) state that women in with age): listening to music (r = - .428, p24 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
What leisure-time activies do you partake in and how often?
Relaxing/doing nothing special 3,28
Joining club/association events (as a member) 1,71
Volunteering 1,67
Spending time with family 4,24
Going to cultural/art/entertainment events or sites 2,36
On social media (e.g., Facebook/Viber/Instagram) 3,58
Browsing the internet 3,27
Creative pursuits 2,63
Visiting cafes/bars/restaurants 2,79
Study/self-improvement 2,04
Shopping 2,94
Spending time with friends 3,57
Sports and recreation 2,35
Reading books 2,9
Listening to music 3,44
Watching informative/educational shows 3,19
Watching films/series 3,82
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5FAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE 25 Non-parametric tests show that, for all activities, there Non-parametric tests registered statistically significant dif- are statistically significant differences (p
26 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
4.3. HOUSEHOLD ORGANIZATION AND – In terms of tasks related to their children’s schooling
GENERAL EQUALITY OF ROLES (homework, parent meetings), 46% indicated both
parents are responsible, 28% said the mother is, and 5%
Although this study found homeownership to be the named the father; 19% said no one in particular, and 2%
important value to women, only 9% own their home, said someone else;
while 25% co-own their apartment with their spouse/ – Most (57%) said both parents discipline the children
partner. Of the rest, about one-quarter live in a home equally, while 23% said responsibility lies on the mother
owned by their partner, one-quarter live in a home of and 5% said it is on the father; 13% said no one; 2% said
their parents, and 11% live in a dwelling owned by their someone else;
partner’s parents; 7% answered ‘other’.
– More than half (61%) of respondents say the woman is
fully responsible for the household chores/hygiene, and
Who owns the home you live in? only 1% said the man is. Both spouses/parents are equally
responsible in 29% of cases, no one in 4% and someone
else in 5%;
7%
9%
– Both parents/spouses are equally responsible for family
11%
budget expenditure in 63% of households, while the
father/husband is solely responsible in 16%, and the
26%
mother/wife in 13%; 4% said no one in particular and 4%
said someone else;
24%
– Just under one-fifth of women (18%) said the husband/
father is solely responsible for the overall financial well-
23%
being of the household, while most (62%) said that both
spouses/parents are equally responsible and only 12%
said the woman takes charge; 4% answered that
someone else is responsible and 4% said no one in
Both my husband and I
particular;
Me
– In just over half (53%) of cases, parents/spouses take
Other
equal responsibility for the religious education of the
The parents of my husband/partner children, while the mother is solely responsible in 17% of
My parents households, the father/husband in 4%, no one in
My husband/partner particular in 22%, and someone else in 4%;
– In 48% of households, the parents/spouses equally look
after elderly or sick relatives, in 17% only the wife/mother
This study asked all respondents (irrespective of rela- does and only the father/husband does in 3%, while
tionship or motherhood status) about the sharing of another 28% answered no one in particular and 4% said
household responsibilities. Respondents answered someone else;
either about the family home they grew up in, or – Almost one fifth (19%) of respondents named husband/
the household in which they currently live (i.e., their father as having “final say” in their house, half (54%)
formed family). said both partners have, and 11% named the mother/
wife; others said no one in particular (13%) or someone
– Most respondents (69%) answered that parents/spouses else (3%).
equally know what is best for the family, 18% said the
mother/wife knows best, 5% said the father/husband,
According to the answers, for most responsibilities in
5% said no one in particular, and 3% said someone else;
the home, the answer “both parents/partners equally”
– Almost half of the respondents (46%) answered that the is the most common. While the man’s final say is more
mother/wife makes meal decisions, 39% said that the relevant than women’s, and he is more responsible for
parents/spouses decide equally, while only 2% said the the financial well-being, the woman has the biggest
father/husband; 8% answered no one in particular and burden in maintaining hygiene and housekeeping, as
5% said someone else; well as in deciding what to eat/planning the meals.FAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE 27
Who in your household...?
Has the "final say"
Cares for ill, elderly or special-needs
family members
Is responsible for the children's
religious upbringing
Decides on leisure/free-time activities
Sustains the family financially (i.e., works)
Mostly the
mother/female carer
Manages the family budget
Mostly the father/male carer
Both parents/carers equally
Is responsible for cleanliness and order
Someone else
Takes care of the children's discipline/behavior No one in particular
Takes care of the children's schooling
(e.g., homework, class meetings)
Makes the meal/cooking decisions
Knоws what is best for the family and children
The cross-tabulation analysis of variables shows the husband/father is more likely to have “final say” in a household
if the wife/mother is in a difficult or disadvantaged financial situation.
Cross-tabulation: the woman's financial status vs. the man's "final say" (%)
I cannot afford basic goods 19,2
I can hardly afford all the necessary goods,
sometimes I am short of money 28
I can afford all I need but I have
to save/economize (live economically) 20,4
I can afford all the necessary goods without
sacrifices but I cannot save for the future 17,1
I can afford everything I need
and I am able to save 12,2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10028 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
The following data relates only to respondents who rest, while 13% said their partner/spouse manages all
are married/live with a partner (N = 639). When asked money and gives them a share and 4% said they manage
about the employment status of their partner/spouse, all money and give their partner a share; 10% said they
over half (55%) indicated they are employed (with a sal- each keep their own money and 10% answered “other”.
ary), 14% said unemployed, 11% said self-employed with
their own business, 10% said retired, 4% said self-em-
ployed in agriculture, 4% said a freelancer (contractual), How is your household income organized? (%)
and 2% said their spouse/partner is unable to work due
to illness/disability.
Which option describes the working status
of your spouse/partner? (%)
We pool all the money Other 10%
and each take out We each keep our own
what we need 47% money separate 10%
My partner/husband We pool some of the
manages all the money money and keep the
and gives me my share 13% rest separate 16%
I manage all the money
and give my partner/hus-
Employee with salary 55% Unemployed 14% band their share 4%
Freelancer worker Self-employed
(temporary contracts) 4% in agriculture (farmer) 4%
Unable to work Self-employed
(due to illness or disability) 2% (owns a business) 11%
The largest proportion of women (36%) can afford all
Retired 10%
the necessities but have budget carefully to save money,
22% can afford everything they need but cannot save,
and 20% can afford all they need and can save. Still,
Additionally, 58% shared that their husband/partner many women (18%) can barely afford necessities and
earns more than them, 27% said they earn similarly, 11% are sometimes short of money, while 5% are unable to
said they earn more than their husband/partner, and afford basic goods.
4% did not know.
How is your financial situation? (%)
Does your husband/partner earn more than you,
the same or less than you? (%)
I can afford all the necessary goods without sacrifices
but I cannot save for the future 22%
More than me 58% Less than me 11%
Do not know 4% More or less the same 27% I can afford all I need but I have to
save/economize (live economically) 36%
I can hardly afford all the necessary goods,
sometimes I am short of money 18%
Regarding household income, 47% of women said they
pool their income together with their partner/spouse I cannot afford basic goods 5%
and each takes out what they need. A further 16% pool I can afford everything I need and I am able to save 20%
partial income jointly with their partner and keep theFAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE 29
According to our study’s data, women who live with
a spouse or a partner are more likely to be solely re- Does your spouse/partner's work interfere with
sponsible for household chores such as laundry (90%), spending time with family and friends? (%)
cleaning (77.6%), cooking (72.1%), and ironing (88.1%),
and the husband/partner is likely to do household re-
pairs (68.9%) and pay bills (49.5%). Both share equal re-
sponsibility for shopping (51.1%), and the childrearing
responsibilities tend to lie solely on the wife/mother or
the parents take equal responsibility.
The Time Use Survey of the State Statistical Office of
the Republic of North Macedonia (2015) showed that,
on any given workday, employed women who have
children and live with a partner will spend many more
hours than men (up to 3 hours more on average) doing
household chores, and less time than men enjoying lei-
sure time activities. The situation is similar on weekends.
Who is responsible for the following in Yes, partially 53% Yes, completely 13%
your home household? (%)
Not at all 33% Not applicable 1%
Washing
Data shows that women who are married or living with
Redecoration and repairs a partner have substantially less time for personal pur-
suits, socializing, or relaxing than their spouse/partner
Buying groceries does. The biggest difference exists for the frequency
variable “daily or almost daily”, with 28.2% of wom-
Cleaning the house en agreeing they have each day for leisure activities
and 41.2% saying their spouse/ partner does. Another
Cooking large discrepancy exists between the perceptions of
how much time women dedicate to personal pursuits
Tidying up (16.3%) versus how much time their partner dedicates
(26.9%) “once or twice a month”. There is no perceived
Dealing with bills, difference between women and men who have time
invoices, paperwork etc.
“once to twice a week” (38%) for leisure.
Car maintenance
Taking daily care How often can you take time for yourself to pursue
of the children your interests, relax and/or socialize (%)
Taking children to
45
kindergarten/school
and back 38
40
Staying at home to look 41,2
after children when ill 35 38,7
Taking children to 30
afterschool activities
25 28,2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 26,9
20
Someone else Both equally 15
Mostly my husband/partner Mostly me 16,3
10 6,9
5
As many as half of the respondents (53%) answered 3,9
that their spouse/partner’s work demands stop them at 0
Never 1-2 times 1-2 times Daily or
times from spending with family and friends, while 13% or rarely per month per week almost daily
said that their spouse/partner is completely preoccu-
pied with work and has no time for family or friends. The
remaining 35% said their spouse/partner’s demands do Spouse/partner Woman
not restrict their time with family or friends at all.30 THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA WOMEN’S STUDY 2020/2021
Almost all respondents (93%) believe that the division – Albanian ethnicity;
of household tasks (within their marriage/relationship)
– rural area;
is fair, with 44% answering “completely fair” and 49%
“somewhat fair”. Only 7% answered, “no, not at all”. – age groups 30-39 and 50-59 years;
– completed primary education.
How fair is the division of household labor
in your live-in relationship? (%)
How would you characterize the degree of gender
equality in your relationship?
4,2
4,1
4
3,9
3,8
3,7
1 2
Cluster
Reference Line is the Overall Mean = 4
A further look finds that the issues that cause the most
Quite fair 49% Totally fair 44%
arguments between spouses/partners are money (m =
Not fair at all 7% 2.34) and household responsibilities (m = 2.15). These
values are located in the negative interval of the axis,
implying that the ‘highest’ rated issues do not cause
Respondents also rated the degree of gender equal- many arguments within the respondents’ relationships,
ity within their marriage/relationship, on a scale from with a standard deviation of about 1 (no extreme an-
1 (very low) to 5 (very high), resulting in a mean value swers), meaning that they are not widely present within
close to “high” (m = 3.98). This implies that women per- the entire female population.
ceive the current division of household labor and leisure
time as fair and that women, to some extent, accept the
How often do the following issues cause tension
traditional/patriarchal division of gender roles in Mace-
between you and your spouse/partner?
donian society as normal.
The analysis did not register any statistically significant Scale: 1 = never, 5 = always
correlations with the variables of age or level of education.
Influence of parents
(ours/his/her) 1,82
How would you rate the degree of gender equality
in your live-in relationship? Leisure time activities 1,91
1 3,98 Career/work 1,71
Excessive alcohol
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5 consumption/other 1,44
addictions
Parenting/raising
the children 1,87
The cluster analysis on gender equality in a marriage/
live-in relationship identified two distinct groups (clus- Differing world/religious/
1,63
ters 1 and 2) according to demographic characteristics, political views
such as education level, ethnicity, place of residence,
and age group. Money 2,34
Cluster 1: Women who expressed gender equality in a
marriage/live-in relationship to a higher degree have Household labor 2,15
the following profile:
– Macedonian ethnicity; 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5
– urban environment;
– age groups 30-39 and 40-49 years;
Statistically significant differences were recorded (p
– completed secondary education.FAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE 31
that women with higher education are more likely to
have arguments with their partner about these issues How often do you use the following help? (%)
than women with lower education levels are.
100
Issues that cause tension: by education level 90
80
2,21
Influence of parents 1,84 70
(ours/his/her) 1,71
1,88 60
50
2,23
Leisure time 1,96
activities 40
1,83
1,86
30
2,13 20
1,75
Career/work
1,64 10
1,64
0
Almost Almost 1-2 1-2 Almost
1,85
Differing world/ never never times times daily
1,71
religious/political not (needed) a month a week
1,56
views needed
1,53
2,47 Paid household Grandparents assist with
2,2 maintenance child care (your/your
Household labor assistance partner's parents)
2,09
2,08 Paid child care Paid care for the elderly,
assistance sick and/or special-needs
1 2 3 4 5
Higher education-postgraduate Secondary education Only 2% of the respondents have a minor child/children
studies (incl. doctoral) with someone with whom they no longer live together
Primary education
Higher education-bachelor studies
(separated/divorced). Due to the extremely small per-
centage of cases (as a research limitation), the ques-
Women who are married and/or living with a partner tions/answers from the survey (who has custody, what
rarely use paid or out-of-home help for household du- are the challenges/problems, payment of alimony, etc.)
ties, childcare, or care for elderly/sick family members. are no further analysed.
Most of the respondents chose the answer “almost nev-
er, no need”. The main kind of assistance listed was that Divorced/separated with minors living at home? (%)
of grandparents looking after the children (cumulative-
ly 20%): daily (6%); once or twice a week (6%); and once
or twice per month (8%). Another 7.6% enlist the help
of a paid housekeeper/cleaner once or twice a month.
An additional analysis of divorced/separated respon-
dents with dependent children showed no significant
differences recorded in the data.
Yes 2% No 98%You can also read
