Notwithstanding its negative consequences, the phenomenon of immigration appears to have assisted to reduce the gender pay gap in Albania. According to INSTAT figures, a woman earns 4.5% less than a man for the same employment, while the disparity across the European Union is 12.7%.
According to employment analyst Eranda Ymerali, female pay gap has decreased over the last decade. She links the improvement to greater female labor-force integration, but adds that one of the important drivers is increased immigration, particularly by men.
“According to the statistics, it is the male gender who emigrates to provide for their families. We cannot have good data on this difference as long as there are more males leaving and more women hired than men “says Eranda Ymerali, an employment expert.
Eurostat data backs up Ymerali’s claim. Countries with significant emigration rates, such as Albania, Romania, Slovenia, and Poland, have gender wage gaps of less than 5%.
Meanwhile, Ymerali feels upbeat about the coming decade. Pay disparities are currently more prominent in rural areas, far from the country’s economic center, and this anomaly is projected to fade in the future years.
“These inequalities in gender and wage are particularly obvious in rural areas. A man is preferred above a woman, who is considered as the one who should stay at home. This is the major battle that must be fought “Ymerali remarks.
The number of women-led businesses has also grown. Women-led businesses will account for 31% of all enterprises in 2021, up 6% from the previous year.
In terms of geographical distribution, women make up one-third of entrepreneurs in Tirana, Kamza, and Saranda, while the highest proportion is seen in Delvine, Kuçove, and Kolonje. Klos, Kukes, and Peqin, on the other side, have the lowest proportion of female-led enterprises.