世界银行-打破障碍_赋予克罗地亚劳动力中的女性权力（英）-2025_73页_2mb

Executive Summary of the Report

The report "Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women in Croatia's Workforce" analyzes barriers to women's labor force participation and provides actionable recommendations. Key findings include:

• Female employment rates are lower than men, particularly for young (ages 15–24) and older women (ages 55–64). The gender pay gap is narrow but persistent due to factors like education field mismatches and workplace policies.
• Sociocultural norms, such as unequal family responsibilities, limit female participation. Parental leave uptake is low among fathers, and childcare access remains insufficient, especially in rural areas.
• Recommendations focus on transforming social norms, improving childcare, expanding flexible work options, supporting entrepreneurship, enhancing long-term care for the elderly, and designing gender-sensitive policies.

Key Issues Identified

• Individual Barriers: Education disparities exist, with women underrepresented in STEM fields. Digital skills are higher than in the EU, but gaps persist.
• Sociocultural Barriers: Traditional gender roles disproportionately assign caregiving to women, reducing labor market participation. Norms discourage fathers from taking parental leave and women from leadership roles.
• Structural and Institutional Barriers: Inadequate childcare facilities, inactivity traps due to benefit cuts, and limited remote work options constrain women's employment. The care economy is underfunded, with women bearing most informal caregiving burdens.

Actionable Recommendations

1. Transform Social Norms: Promote shared parental responsibilities, increase leave compensation for fathers, and use campaigns to challenge gender stereotypes. Implement gender-neutral career guidance and certifications.
2. Improve Childcare Access: Expand ECEC facilities through investments like the Whole-Day School program; ensuring extended hours and subsidized placements to align with work schedules.
3. Facilitate Flexible Work Arrangements: Expand telework and part-time contracts, provide reskilling for remote work roles, and ensure accompanying social protections.
4. Strengthen Entrepreneurial Support: Tailor support packages for women, including mentoring, training, and financing, drawing from successful models like Croatia's Zaželi program.
5. Enhance Long-Term Care: Develop mobility programs for migrant care workers, promote digital health tools, and invest in vocational training for the aging population.
6. Design Gender-Sensitive Policies: Implement targeted upskilling programs, income support measures like earnings credits, and monitor ALMPs for inclusiveness to reduce disincentives to work.

The report stresses that addressing these barriers through comprehensive, evidence-based policies can unlock women's potential, boost labor market participation, and promote gender equality in Croatia.