New stats on TRNC women,
THE employment rate of women in North Cyprus stands at just 33.3 per cent, new statistics have revealed.
The figure was released by the TRNC Statistics Institute as part of new data focusing on women’s lives, to coincide with March 8 International Women’s Day. The same figure for men is 57 per cent, while unemployment rates for women and men are 12.2 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.
The study also looked at, among other issues, women’s age of marriage, education levels, and the representation of women in senior roles. The figures pointed to a gender imbalance in the TRNC, with females making up around 46 per cent of the population.
“World Working Women’s Day is an international day defined by the United Nations and is celebrated on March 8 every year,” a statement from the Statistics Institute head Dr Türel Özer Öksüzoğlu said.
“We believe that it will be useful and meaningful to share some statistics on such a day, which will guide progressive policies for women in light of the data produced by the Statistics Institute.
“According to the statistics, 46 per cent of the population in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are women.
“The age structure of the population becomes very important, especially when making socio-economic planning. It is beneficial to examine the working-age population and the non-working age population when dividing and analysing the population into age groups.”
Women, on average, live longer than men in North Cyprus. In 2019 life expectancy at birth was 81.1 years for men and 84.4 for women, the figures showed.
From 2015 to 2019 the number of marriages fell by 8.2 per cent, while divorces were up 12.4 per cent, with the average age of women getting married rising from 29.4 years to 30.4 years over the same period.
Explaining the employment situation of women, Dr Öksüzoğlu said: “The employment rate, which is an important indicator . . . remains lower for women in our country compared to men.
“In addition, the high rates of unemployment among women indicate that women in the TRNC have difficulty in finding a job, even though they are seeking work.
“Although women constitute 46 per cent of the TRNC population, it is seen that this ratio is not represented at the same rate in employment.
“According to the Household Labour Force Survey, 59.2 per cent of those not included in the labour force are women.
“When the female population that is not included in the labour force is analysed according to certain subgroups, housewives make up the biggest share at 41.5 per cent. This is followed by students (17.9 per cent), retirees (17 per cent) and those unable to work (7.5 per cent).”
Of those women in work, 90.9 per cent are employed in the services sector, compared to just 1.1 per cent in construction and 2.4 per cent in agriculture. Women are more likely than men to work as “unpaid” family members of a business.
Dr Öksüzoğlu said that “social indicators” are also important. Figures for the education levels of women aged 15 and over show that they are more likely than men to keep studying to post-graduate level.
“According to the Household Labour Force Survey . . . the rate of those whose most recently attained level of education is a doctorate or
master’s degree, including 5 or 6-year faculties, is 41 per cent for men and 59 per cent for women.”
Women are also increasingly taking on senior manager roles at work, although these positions are still more than twice as likely to be carried out by men.
“The continuous increase in the rate of women among senior managers in our country is a reflecation tion of the increase in education levels,” Dr Öksünt zoğlu explained.
“While only 28.9 per cent senior managers were women in 2015, this rate increased to 31.3 per cent in 2020.”
As reported by Cyprus Today last week, the proportion of female MPs remains low, despite the introduction of a quota at the last general election stipulating that 30 per cent of political parties’ parliamentary candidates must be women.
“Although the participation of women in poli. tics is supported by law . . the representation of [women in Parliament] is 18 per cent (41 male MPs and nine female MPs),” Dr Öksüzoğlu said.
“While there has been an increase in the parics ticipation of women in politics in the TRNC comhis pared to previous periods, this rate is far from the desired equal representation and is far below the world average. . . In light of this knowledge, as the president of the Statistics Institute, I once again share that our main responsibility towards future generations is to achieve gender justice.
“I hope that this day will be the beginning for a solution of all the problems women experience.”