Romania will have to increase its efforts to improve gender equality, including by closing the gender gap in workforce occupancy, pay and pensions, reducing the violence rate, and promoting equality in decision making, according to the European Commission.

Romania came last within the EU on the ratio of women in boards of companies listed on the Stock Exchange. The ratio has been decreasing dramatically across the EU. Overall, the gender gap has significantly decreased over the last few years, but progress is uneven between member states, shows a recent report from the EC.

Despite representing a group of 60 percent of university graduates, women are still paid less than men on an hourly basis, and women are still more inclined to work part – time or to interrupt their careers to take care of the family, which creates another pay gap later on in life, at retirement.

Even if the work occupancy rate among women is higher than it used to be, it still stays at 63 percent, compared to 75 percent for men. Women were found to spend 26 hours a week on household activities or taking care of family, as compared to 9 hours for men. Meanwhile, women are less likely to hold management positions. They make 17 percent or large companies' boards, only 2.8 percent of the management, 27 percent of Government ministers, and 27 percent of members of national parties.

editor@romania-insider.com