Increase of employment for women to lead to GDP growth

BELGRADE - Increase of employment for women could bring about an increase of the GDP per capita in Serbia of up to 16 per cent, the analyses carried out by the World Bank (WB) have shown.

Head of the WB Office in Serbia Tony Verheijen told the Thursday conference on employment for women in the Western Balkan that the analyses have shown that the increase in Bosnia-Herzegovina could total 6 per cent and as many as 23 per cent in Turkey.

Women are mainly employed in low-productivity sectors and are often tasked with poorly paid jobs that require lower qualification levels, he noted and added that the issue of gender equality is own of the WB priorities.

Participants of the IFC conference as member of the WB Group pointed to the necessity for strengthening the private sector so as to ensure new and better jobs for women in the Western Balkans and called for greater cooperation between government institutions and the private sector to this end.

Creation of new and better jobs for women will improve their economic prospects and can help companies increase their competitiveness, IFC Regional Manager for the Western Balkans Per Kjellerhaug said.

Photo Tanjug Video, camera operator Milan Romanjuk