Abstract:
The problem of gender inequality in the market is rarely discussed in scientific papers, but it is still present in many countries in the 21st century. The study was conducted using the analysis of legal documents, descriptive analysis of statistical data and literature review. The results of the study present that in both countries, women who represent more than 50% of the population are more likely to be laid off from work, remain unemployed longer, find it more difficult to find employment and often receive less pay for the same work. Although many legal documents of Armenia and Azerbaijan: constitutions and strategies for gender equality ensure same treatment of women and men in the labor market, in practice the situation of women in the labour market is worse. The Azerbaijan Labour Code provides equal pay for equal work for women and men. Such a law is not provided for in the Armenian Labor Code, which allows for wage discrimination against women. The reason for the lower activity of women than men in the labour market are social norms and the traditional idea of the family, according to which women will be dependent on their husbands after marriage. Many women finish school, get married and do not take up employment. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, a higher percentage of employees are men. Women who have decided to educate most often study pedagogical and medical faculties, after which they undertake jobs in education, health care and social care. Those who have completed secondary education most often work in retail. The main source of income for women is hired labour. In both countries, women are more likely to become unemployed than men, who are considered to be the head of the family. Significantly fewer job offers are addressed to women than men. Women's salaries are lower than men's. The disparities in salaries of both sexes are primarily due to occupational segregation. Men are employed in sectors where wages are higher, women in sectors where wages are lower. In addition, women are less likely than men to take up managerial positions. In Armenia in 2023, the average salary of a woman accounted for 59,2%, while in Azerbaijan it was 68,8% of that of a man. More cases of wage discrimination against women should be noted in the private sector in both countries. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, state labor inspectorates operate, but they are ineffective in counteracting discrimination against women in the labor market. In Armenia, the reason is the insufficient number of inspectors, and in Azerbaijan, officials admit that they are not able to solve this problem.
