Effects of Perceived Gender Roles on Female Poverty, the Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

This research examines the position of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in relation to their participation in the labor market, average income differences between men and women and causes that affect their situation in respect to social norms and perceived gender roles. Through identifying how harmful practices perpetuated by social norms contribute to increasing inequality that widens the poverty gender gap, the research discovers a high percentage of working-age women being outside the labor market, a higher unemployment rate among women, and gender disparity in occupations and positions in BiH. By surveying the perception of prevalent social norms, particularly those connected to roles the society ‘assigns’ to women and men, the study identifies linkages between the roles and the position of women in the labor market and decision-making. The special focus is on multidimensional aspects of poverty, particularly in cases of limited access to jobs, education, and public services.