Gender Sensitive Statistics as a Prerequsite for Democratization of a Society

Abstract

The author analyzes statistical data on position of women in the EU and Serbia, which confirm that women in the EU, as well as in Serbia, are insufficiently represented in decision-making processes, are on average better educated then men, work more hours per day but that they on average earn less then men.

Statistical Office of Republic of Serbia has published in 2005 a brochure Women and men in Serbia in which gender sensitive data were published in a coherent way and also data that they gather but do not represent in regular publications, or they do, but disorderly and not systematically. By publishing this brochure it was proved that there is interest and the need to better collect gender sensitive statistical data. Nevertheless, the brochure does not represent a radical breakthrough in methodology of data collection and analysis of new areas in statistics. There are still many "black holes" that Serbia will have to fill in if it wants to respond to its international obligations regarding reporting on position of women to international organizations and various bodies.

This is why the author also represented gender sensitive categories which are gathered and published in Germany, Norway and Slovenia – a country where statistics is based on similar grounds which were built in former Yugoslavia and in short time progressed to European standards, proving that progress is possible, if there is political will.